WinchesterRemington:Lifelines
by HBKDEANRKO
Summary: Dean Winchester and Arandi Remington grow up side by side and face every challenge and monster along the way. They discover love and the deep seated need to protect those closest to them and for Dean that will always be his little brother Sam and the love of his life Arandi. They will make friends, face enemies, and each other until choices lead them to the ultimate truth.
1. Chapter 1

This story comes from requests from readers who wanted a story where Dean and Arandi meet from childhood.

Also I got a couple of requests for a longer story along the lines of the Chronicles. So this story will start out with Dean and Arandi from birth and go on from there. I will include some aspects of the show but rewritten to fit this story. So if I don't get names, dates, careers, right, it was on purpose.

You will notice that I rarely mention city names and or states. I do this so that the reader can image them anywhere they see fit.

In my opinion since Jensen and Jared are both Texas boys then I think Dean and Sam should be the same. Yes, I am from Texas as well.

They are hunters in this one.

Add to that, if you have read my other stories you are familiar with the way I write. I do not follow custom punctuation because it annoys me. If that bothers you turn away now.

My stories have a lot of curse words.

My stories have a lot of SEX. This one in particular has just about everything under the sun. Toys, same sex, and probably some worse in later chapters. I will try to give a warning in each chapter. If it slips my mind please forgive me.

My stories have and I cannot state enough A LOT OF HURT DEAN!

Many characters go through my stories but be assured my stories are DEANCENTRIC.

AGAIN I HURT DEAN A LOT.

I state it over and over because I had more than one complaint last time even though my summary stated in large letters. LOTS OF HURT DEAN!

NOT YOUR THING then don't even start reading this one.

All SUPERNATURAL characters sadly do not belong to me. I do though own the entire REMINGTON clan. Arandi, Jade, Johnny, Beth, and Jonathan.

For those of you who decide to read this please enjoy and please review.

Thank you!

WINCHESTER/REMINGTON: LIFELINES

ALL ALONG

January 24, 1979

The snow was falling steadily as John Winchester tried to drive his very pregnant, very in labor wife to the hospital.

Mary Winchester was doing her best to breathe the way she was told but the pain was unbelievable. Not as bad as her own mom had made it sound but it was no cake walk.

"Please, hurry John. This baby wants out." She panted.

"I'm trying, the snow is making it hard to drive fast. We don't need to get into an accident." John said as calmly as he could even though his heart was about to beat out of chest in fear that he might have to deliver his child on the side of the road in the snow.

Freaking Texas snow storm the one time that they didn't need it there it was.

He was concentrating on his driving when a figure appeared out of nowhere waving his arms frantically and John was glad that he had not been driving much faster as he slowed down.

The man banged on John's window and John rolled it down just barely enough to see what the man wanted.

"Please, I need help my wife is in labor and our car won't start." The man said desperately.

"Help them." Mary huffed.

"You're in luck, pal, I'm on my way to the hospital too with my wife in labor." John said as he climbed out of the car to help the stranger get his wife into the back seat.

"Thank you so much." The woman panted, also in full labor.

"What a blessing you came along when you did." The man said. "By the way we are Jonathan and Beth Remington."

"John and Mary Winchester." John replied as he eased the car back into motion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

John and Johnathan paced the waiting room. It seemed like hours since their wives had been taken away and they had heard no news.

John wrung his hands in worry everything that could go wrong in his mind and before he realized it he was praying in Latin. He turned to see Jonathan watching him intently.

"Sorry, I speak Latin when I'm worried." John said easily.

Jonathan walked closer to him and with no warning reached to pull John's necklace from inside his shirt.

"What the hell, man?" John grumbled.

"You're a hunter." Jonathan whispered.

"Yeah, I like to hunt like most men."

"You know what I mean." Jonathan insisted.

John stared at him until Jonathan pulled out a similar necklace.

"I don't believe in coincidences." They both said at the same time.

They both swore they could hear the sounds of giant gears going into motion at the same time as they heard the first cries of their newborn children.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary and Beth had been taken to the same delivery room. It turned out they both had the same doctor and they both realized that they had seen each other before at his office.

The doctor flitted between both of them amazed at how both women were dilating at the exact same pace.

"The race is on." He joked.

Mary looked around the room uncomfortable with the increasing pain and she so wished that John was with her. She was vulnerable right now and she hated that.

Still to make herself feel better she squirmed and said 'Christo' as if she was cursing her pain.

No one flinched but when she turned to look at Beth she met knowing eyes and a tiny smile of kinship.

They could both swear that they heard something big starting in motion and then they had to push.

They next thing they knew they were hearing 'it's a boy', 'it's a girl' and seconds later the cries of their newborns.

They looked at each other again because neither believed in coincidences.

They were handed their babies both with wide eyes.

Mary's with unbelievable green and Beth's with blue.

"Don't get too attached to the eye color it usually changes as they get older." A nurse said cheerfully.

Mary and Beth somehow knew this time she was wrong.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Winchester's and the Remington's all regarded each other as Mary fed her baby boy and Beth her baby girl.

The doctor had asked them if they minded sharing a room since they were minor celebrities at the moment.

They were the only deliveries that day in the medical center and one boy one girl born at the exact same time.

The room was awash with well-wishers gifts.

The parents though knew something had clicked into place today and all they could do was wait it out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As it turned out the Remington's were looking for a place to live and as it so happened there was a house available right next door to the Winchester's.

It was exactly what the Remington's were looking for and ridiculously affordable. So within weeks they were neighbors and became the best of friends.

The Remington's already had a little two year old boy named after his dad but they called him Johnny. He climbed up onto John's lap the very first time he met him as if he had known him along.

"He has never taken to anyone that fast." Beth said in awe.

As they got to know each other they found that they had all been raised as hunters by hunters and had met their partners on the hunt. They had semi-retired once married, only hunting things that came too close to home. Once the women had become pregnant they become the house wives and the men kept sharp eyes on everything within a hundred mile radius and making sure other hunters took over from the end of that radius on in every possible direction.

While the women no longer hunted they stayed in the loop on research and sent hunters to other places that they usually would have gone.

Not many hunters got to settle down. They considered themselves lucky. Now they were wondering if it all had been planned for some other cosmic reason.

They watched Dean and Arandi with hawk eyes searching for any sign of impending doom.

Mary and John had decided to name their little boy after Mary's own mother, Deana, killed by a demon.

Beth and Jonathan had named their daughter after a long ago queen. They had always liked the name and it suited their raven haired blue eyed little princess.

That was how two hunting families came together and while John and Jonathan worked all day. The woman stayed home and kept their family home up and safe. One always over at the other's house.

Dean and Arandi shared a crib, a play pen, a sand box. They cried when they were separated at the end of the day.

Johnny was always close by watching over his baby sister and he insisted that Dean was his brother.

So life went on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

JANUARY 24, 1980

The smell of steaks on the grill filled the air. Mary and Beth hustled in Mary's kitchen making side dishes and making sure the baking cakes didn't burn.

The yard was full of neighbors and coworkers invited to celebrate Dean and Arandi's first birthday.

Screaming kids ran around in the cool January air but it was perfect for a party.

A small sized picnic table had been set up in honor of the birthday honorees and they were having fun.

Everyone was having fun.

Presents were opened, piñatas busted open, and the cakes were brought out to cut.

Dean and Arandi stood side by side on the bench of the bigger table to blow out their candles while they held hands and everyone thought they were the cutest thing ever.

The first slice cut everyone stood silently watching as Dean picked up the plate carefully and toddled over to where Arandi was sitting at their special table.

He set it down in front of her with a big triumphant smile and said something in baby speak to her which she answered in the same manner.

Dean smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Arandi patted the seat next to her and Dean obediently sat and she took the first piece of cake from the plate carefully using the fork the way her mom had been showing her. She offered it to Dean and he opened his mouth to take the offered cake.

She then lay her little head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.

There was hardly a dry eye at the cuteness before them.

Mary and Beth exchanged glances as a knowledge set into their gut. It was all about Dean and Arandi whatever was out there was waiting for their children. The dread that filled them was only increased as a random crash of lighting crashed close by.

Fearing a storm the small crowd began to disperse and the few that stayed to help clean up laughed in amusement at the birthday boy and girl, tired from their day of excitement lay fast asleep curled together in the sand box.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean began to cry in his sleep a fear in his still too young to understand mind taking hold as he slowly woke crying for his mom and dad.

He saw the figure in his room and screamed louder.

John came tearing into the room machete in one hand and a gun in the other. "Stay away from my boy!" John yelled.

The figure laughed and disappeared in a swirl of smoke. The image of the yellow eyes would never be forgotten by either father or son.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	2. UNIVERSAL WHAT?

Yes, the whole Winchester and Remington clan are still alive in this story. For now anyway.

I didn't realize Mary being alive would make so many happy.

I went for two chapters in one day just because I have been so behind.

UNIVERSAL WHAT?

MAY 2, 1983

Dean and Arandi sat quietly playing with blocks in the corner of the hospital waiting room. Johnny was off to the side playing with cars.

John and Jonathan paced unable to believe that this was happening again. Their wives giving birth on the same day, while outside a thunderstorm raged.

A nurse stepped up to the nervous men and asked them if she could give the children a reward for being so well behaved.

They nodded their approval.

She kneeled beside the kids handing each a bag of snacks and some colors and coloring books.

"You three are being so good." She cooed.

"My brother is being born." Dean said with a huge smile. "I have to protect him."

"Is this your sister?" The nurse asked.

"Nope, she's my girlfriend." Dean took Arandi's hand.

"My word if you two aren't the cutest thing I've ever seen." She squealed.

Dean leaned into to say something to Arandi still in their own language and she replied.

The nurse smiled huge. "You keep being good for your moms and dads ok?"

The children all nodded as they began to open their snacks.

Arandi handed her pack of crackers to Dean and he quickly opened them for her and handed them back and she divided them equally for them to share and save the other package for later and they shared their juice.

It was like that with everything they had, they shared everything with one another and the only time they were apart was when they slept.

Minutes later Sam Winchester and Jade Remington came into the world at the exact same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"I have to take care of my little brother." Dean explained to Arandi as he held his squirming weeks old brother in his little arms.

"I know." Arandi sighed. "I have to take care of Jade too."

Mary and Beth were amazed how well Dean and Arandi could speak for their age.

"I'm still going to take care of you too. Ok so don't be sad." Dean continued.

Arandi laid her head on Dean's shoulder and the mom's snapped pictures of the cuteness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone that saw Dean and Arandi for the first time automatically assumed they were siblings because they were so close.

They did everything together and shared everything without so much as on argument especially because Dean always made sure Arandi got things first and then he was perfectly happy with whatever he got, after Sammy of course.

They loved to play with Legos. When they colored they always colored one page laying head to head or sitting across from each other and somehow the page always turned out great.

They were not allowed to do that in day care and Dean never understood why. Just like the teacher getting mad if they tried to take their naps together.

The mothers fixed that quickly enough. "We don't pay this place four hundred dollars a month for you to make our children miserable." Mary hissed.

There was never another problem.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, Arandi is sick so you can't see her today." Mary explained to her son.

Dean and Arandi had hardly gone an entire day without seeing each other and Dean didn't like it.

"I want to see her and take her some soup, mom, please."

"Baby, she's sick and I don't want you getting what she has."

"I don't care I want to see her."

"Dean, go to your room now." John suddenly interrupted.

Dean pouted but headed to his room.

"We let them get away with entirely too much." John sighed.

"We were all brought together for a reason John and he and Arandi have an amazing connection that we can't explain and we shouldn't interfere with it." Mary reasoned.

"Even so they don't have to be together every day." John insisted.

Mary set a slice of pie and a cup of coffee in front of him and John ate it slowly.

"I'll go talk to him." He said.

He wasn't all that surprised when he found Dean's room empty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No, John, he hasn't been here." Jonathan said to a worried John.

"He's not in our house at all." John said. "Can we just check please?"

Jonathan was more than certain Dean was not in his house after all Dean was barely four and Jonathan had his house very secure.

Or so he thought. Opening the door to Arandi's room both men stood and could hardly be angry at the two peacefully sleeping angels cuddled together on Arandi's bed.

They were left alone while both men tried to figure out how Dean had escaped one very secure house and gotten into another without being noticed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean startled awake when he heard his baby brother crying. He frowned wondering what was wrong because Sammy had been sleeping through the night for weeks now.

He waited to see if he heard his parents and when he didn't he got up and headed to check on his brother himself.

The nursery door was kept open so that Sammy could be heard easier so Dean walked in and froze.

A stranger stood over Sam's crib touching him. Dean's little heart beat hard in his chest and he wanted to run to get his parents but he didn't dare leave Sam alone.

The stranger seemed to sense him and turned to look at him and Dean's heart went up a notch when he could see that it was no ordinary human standing in front of him.

"Leave my brother alone!" He yelled hoping his parents would hear him.

"Oh, Dean, you have no idea what your little brother is meant to become." The stranger said his voice like acid and his eyes yellow.

"Stay away from my brother." Dean insisted and he quickly launched forward grabbing a bottle of water like his parents kept all over the house and threw it at stranger the way his parents had told him to do when and if he ever saw a stranger like this.

The man snarled angrily as the water sizzled on his skin and Dean climbed into the crib and covered Sam with his own body.

"Sam is mine." The stranger hissed.

"No!" Dean yelled.

The stranger reached for Dean and he started yelling. When the man's touch connected with him Dean felt sick and hot all over. He saw things he didn't understand and his head hurt.

Suddenly his mom was there shoving the stranger away from the crib and speaking a language Dean couldn't understand.

The stranger laughed and suddenly Mary was slammed into the wall and slid up towards the ceiling.

Dean tried hard to be brave but he started crying, it was all too much for his four year old mind and he was so scared. Still though he had to take care of his mom too so even filled with terror he launched himself at the stranger, wrapping his little arms around his head as tight as he could and kicked with everything he had.

Mary slid back to the floor and began the strange language again and then John came running into the room just as the stranger grabbed hold of Dean's arms and flung him to the floor.

Dean lost his breath on the impact and his vision hedged into black as he lay still. He could smell smoke and suddenly flames were everywhere.

He wasn't sure what happened next but the next thing he knew they were outside and he could hear sirens. He opened his eyes long enough to see that their house was on fire and then he just wanted to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The damage to the house had been mostly to the nursery and hall thanks to the fact that Jonathan had been up and noticed the fire quickly and that the fire department was only a couple of blocks away.

John and Jonathan had kept the water hoses on it as well.

Mary, Dean, and Sammy had been kept in the hospital overnight for observation and Arandi had not been thrilled about not being able to see Dean the following morning.

She calmed down though when her dad told her that the Winchester's would be staying with them until their house was cleaned up and fixed again.

When John had arrived with Dean in his arms he had quickly climbed down and hugged Arandi tightly telling her that he was sorry for scaring her but that he was just trying to protect his baby brother and his mom.

Dean had not spoken a word to his parents about what had happened and they both knew that they had to get him to talk about it.

So when they were tucking him in to bed that night in the room he was sharing with Arandi they asked him if was ok.

Dean nodded sullenly. "Is that man going to try to hurt Sammy again?"

John and Mary exchanged glances. "We think that he will."

Dean nodded again. "He tried to hurt you mom and he probably would hurt you dad. Will he try to hurt Arandi?"

"If he thinks that it will get him what he wants then yes." Mary answered truthfully.

"Was he a monster?"

"Yes, the worst kind." John answered.

"Then you have to show me how to kill him." Dean said with all the seriousness of a grown man.

Once again John and Mary exchanged glances having hoped for so long that they could keep their children out of the hunter's life and knowing they had to do the opposite just to keep their family safe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I was so scared, Arandi, but it was trying to hurt my mom and Sammy and then I was scared that it was going to come after you."

"Dean, you're never scared." Arandi replied.

"I was this time."

"I was scared to when I listened to mom and dad talking and they said you were hurt and then they wouldn't let me see you. I was really scared that you were gone."

Dean hugged Arandi to him. "I'm supposed to protect you and my brother so I'm not going anywhere."

It was the best he could promise at the age of four.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	3. FROM THIS MOMENT

FROM THIS MOMENT

Dean ran into the kitchen excitedly. "Mom, dad, you have to come see!" He bounced up and down.

"What is it, Dean?" John asked trying to hide the grin because of the way Dean looked with wide green eyes.

"Come on, dad, it's a surprise. You too, Ma Beth and Pa Jon."

Jonathan and Beth laughed wondering what their little ones were up too.

The adults made their way to the living room where Johnny and Arandi's giggles were loud and happy. Baby Sam and Jade sat on the floor scooting around on their backsides.

Dean ran to the end of the sofa and Arandi joined him. They both got on their knees.

"You ready for this?" Dean asked his smile about to break his face.

Everyone nodded.

"Hey, Sammy, come here and give big brother a hug." Dean said.

"Come on, Jade, come give sister a hug." Arandi added.

Sam looked up at his parents with big hazel eyes and pouted.

"It's ok, Sammy, do it for me." Dean prodded.

Sammy's face scrunched up in determination and he scooted closer to the sofa. Slowly he pulled himself to his feet and looked at his parents again.

Mary and Beth already had cameras in hand with tears in their eyes and John and Jonathan just stared.

Sammy then looked at Jade who moved up behind him and pulled herself up also.

Together holding onto the sofa they toddled toward their older siblings until they fell into their arms giggling.

"Da D." Sammy babbled.

"Isn't it great?" Dean beamed proudly. "I taught Sammy how to walk and he can almost say my name."

"Sounds like he's saying daddy to me." Johnny replied innocently.

Mary shot John a nervous glance but his face didn't change.

'He trying to say his brother's name that's all.' John told himself over and over. He wasn't upset at all that his youngest son was closer to his brother than to him, not upset at all.

"Come on, John, let's go have a cold one and play some pool in the game room." Jonathan said patting John on the shoulder.

"Aren't you proud, dad?" Dean asked his eyes full of hope.

"I'm very proud, Dean. Now come give your pops a hug."

Dean jumped to his feet lifting Sammy with him he carefully got to John and he lifted both boys in his arms, reassuring himself that his sons loved him.

Sammy topped it all with a loud messy kiss on John's cheek and a mantra of 'da das' followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary and Beth had had to do a lot of explaining on how teacher's lives would be much simpler if they just put Dean and Arandi in the same kindergarten class.

Of course the teachers thought they knew better and that Dean and Arandi needed to learn to be apart as a fact of life.

The Winchesters and Remington's made a bet on how long that would last.

Mary won with two weeks when the note arrived saying that Arandi had been moved to Dean's class because she always ended up in there one way or another or the other way around.

"We tried to tell them." Beth chuckled.

Needless to say the rest of the year went by like gravy as long as Dean and Arandi were together. Well almost.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean ran around the playground chasing the screaming kids. He was pretending to be the killer shark in the water and the kids were his meal and whoever he caught first before they climbed up the ship, which was the monkey bars, was his.

They were having a great recess but as always there had to be a bully and said bully just had no clue what pissing off a seven year old Winchester would entail him. More over what pissing off a Winchester through Arandi would entail him.

At seven Dean had been told by his mom more than once that he had a fiery temper and he kind of liked that no one liked it when he was mad. He didn't get mad a lot though because his parents loved him and he loved them and Sammy loved him more than anything even Jade. His life was good so he didn't lose his temper a lot.

Arandi was tough for a girl, she had to be since her parents had made her take karate when she turned six but she wasn't allowed to use it on other kids' only older people who threatened her or monsters.

So when Billy had shoved Arandi hard enough to make her fall and bust her lip against the swings, Dean had seen red and not just her blood.

Arandi was bleeding, Arandi was hurt, and he was supposed to protect her.

He didn't remember anything until Mrs. Wilson was pulling him off of a screaming Billy with his bloody nose.

Billy's mom had tried to make a big deal out of it until Beth had shown her what her son had done to her daughter.

"Boys don't hit girls." She had scolded her son.

He had in turned embarrassed her into silence when he replied. "But dad always hits you."

Not another word was said about the matter and from that day on everyone knew that unless you wanted your ass handed to you painfully you didn't mess with Dean Winchester or Arandi Remington.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean watched his mom making soup her eyes tired and her hands shaking.

"Is dad going to be ok?" He asked quietly.

Mary managed a smile. "Of course he is, sweetheart."

"Was it a monster that hurt him?" He asked because John had been fine when Jonathan and he had gone 'fishing.'

Mary stared at the soup. "Yes, baby, it was."

"Did he get it?"

Mary nodded.

"Good or he'd be really pissed." Dean said seriously.

Mary couldn't help but laugh at her little boys' choice of words.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean pushed the rope swing in the backyard of their house with Arandi in it. The two families didn't even bother with a fence between their houses since they were all always trekking back and forth.

"Dad is going to start working on the tree house when summer starts." Dean said as he pushed. "Your dad is going to help him because they are going to make it expand between the two big trees so it will be so big and it will belong to both of us and Sammy and Jade, Johnny too."

"It's going to be awesome. We can do our homework in there and watch movies." Arandi said excitedly as she popped off the swing and hit the ground running towards the mentioned trees. Dean was right behind her.

They both looked up at the trees and smiled anxious for their new place to have fun.

Dean looked around and could see his mom and Arandi's mom in their kitchen working on dinner. Their dads were in the garage tinkering on John's Impala.

He took Arandi's hand and led her to the huge flower garden that both moms had worked on.

"Mom says we're too young to even be thinking about it but I want to know." Dean started rather shyly.

"Dean, what's wrong your cheeks are red? You feel alright?" Arandi asked worriedly reaching to cup his face.

He placed his hand over hers and they stared at each other. "I love you." He whispered.

Now Arandi's cheeks brightened. "I love you too, Dean."

He leaned in and placed his lips over hers and at seven he felt a strange bolt of heat surge through his body with their very first real kiss.

Arandi kissed him back and they both stepped away completely bright red.

Their hands still firmly latched together. "I want us to be together forever." He said. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes." Arandi answered without hesitation.

"They won't let us get married now, dad said we have to wait until we're eighteen or older but I wanted to ask you now so everyone knows we're engaged." He pulled a ring from his pocket.

It was a simple ring small and perfect for Arandi's still tiny little fingers.

"My mom helped me pick it out." Dean said as he slid into place. "She was laughing saying she never thought she and your mom would get ten whole years to plan a wedding."

Arandi stared at her ring and then frowned. "What if you don't love me anymore in ten years?"

"Arandi, why would you say that?" Dean asked in shock.

"Well, Mr. Walters left Mrs. Walters and they had been together for twenty five whole years."

"I will never leave you, Arandi, you are everything to me." He said in a very serious tone.

"You promise?"

"With all my heart." Dean whispered pulling Arandi into his arms.

Their parents watched unnoticed with their hands over their hearts and tears in their eyes and thus started one of the longest engagements of all time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't like this." Mary sighed.

"Mary, it makes sense to find out now that they are still kids the extent of their connection." John explained.

"By separating them without telling them? That seems plain cruel to me."

"Yes, I know but if we don't know the effects of a separation we have no way of dealing with it if some demon uses it against them or us." John explained.

Mary nodded even though every part of her told her that it was a huge mistake.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You can't have my brother." Dean yelled throwing himself at the yellow eyed demon.

The demon laughed throwing Dean aside like a rag doll. "Why would I want your brother when I can have her instead?" He hissed lifting a limp bloodied Arandi by one arm.

"No! You put her down, you let her go!" Dean screamed desperately trying to get to Arandi but as hard as he tried to run he didn't move from the place where he was.

"She's mine now!" The demon laughed and vanished with Arandi.

Dean screamed and thrashed not knowing what to do. Without Arandi he was lost.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, calm down son." John pleaded as his oldest son thrashed caught in some awful nightmare. "Dean, wake up!"

"Arandi!" Dean screamed as he sat bolt upright.

"Arandi is fine, Dean, just calm down." John assured his son.

"The demon has her. I got to get to her."

"It was a bad dream."

Mary stood in the doorway glaring daggers at her husband.

Dean stiffened up clawing at the sheets. "I can't…..I ca…" His eyes rolled back and he fell back on the bed motionless.

"Dean!" John and Mary yelled at the same time.

"I told you this was a mistake." Mary said with all the fury one body could carry.

"Mary….." John tried but didn't get much further as Mary lifted her son into her arms and headed for the stairs. She was getting him to Arandi if she had to walk.

She didn't have to go too far because Jonathan and Beth's car was screeching to a halt in front of the house with Arandi limp in Beth's arms.

The two families rushed into the house Sammy and Jade were both screaming bloody murder and Johnny followed along with his hands over his ears.

They laid Dean and Arandi side by side on the sofa and in moments they both stirred and Arandi buried her face in Dean's chest.

Dean turned furious green eyes at their parents. "You made Arandi cry. Parents aren't supposed to do that."

No one said a word.

He turned back to Arandi wrapping her tightly in his arms.

The adults headed to settle the younger children down and then to the kitchen to talk and drink coffee, very strong coffee.

Arandi lifted her head to look at Dean who smiled at her smugly. "Told you it would work. They will never try to separate us again."

She sighed deeply and settled snuggly to fall asleep by Dean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

John and Jonathan both sat on the porch drinking coffee as the sun came up. They had both been relegated to sleeping on the sofa because their wives were both furious with them.

"How do we hide this from demons?" Jonathan asked.

"We just do what we always do. I have a feeling that our children's connection will end up opening new doors."

"Hopefully nice doors and not hell's gates." Jonathan sighed.

"From your mouth to God's ears."

"After everything we've seen you still believe there is a God?" Jonathan asked.

"We have to believe in something."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	4. ABOVE AVERAGE

ABOVE AVERAGE

"I heard dad telling Uncle Bobby once that if you mix blood together it makes two people's connection stronger." A ten year old Dean told Arandi.

"You don't think our connection is strong enough already?" Arandi asked with a raised eyebrow as they sat Indian style on the floor of the tree house in the middle of the huge devil's trap painted there.

"I want it to be as strong as it can possibly be because you're mine and I'm yours." Dean said as he took her hand. "I don't like hurting you but I have to so this can work ok?"

Arandi nodded and bit her lip as Dean sliced the palm of her hand. He quickly cut his own and then linked their hands together. They leaned in to kiss each other and kept their hands together until they were being called to dinner.

Dean quickly cleaned everything up and tended to their hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Their parents went out of their way to protect their children from evil but the Winchesters and Remington's had taken out enough demons to have a wanted poster out for their lives.

Demons as powerful as they were still liked to do things the cowardly way and go after the children.

Dean was in the gym playing dodge ball when he felt the sudden change in the room.

He looked up at Coach Monroe just in time to see his eyes shift away from solid black.

Dean's instincts kicked in and he knew that he had to protect all the kids with him at the moment.

So he didn't hesitate to go when the coach called him over so he could get far from the kids.

"I need you to come with me." The coach said.

"Where are we going?" Dean asked.

"I'm taking you to hell." The demon hissed and yanked Dean hard towards him.

"Everybody run!" Dean yelled and no one hesitated when they saw him being manhandled by their coach.

The demon backhanded Dean and he fell dazed to the floor.

Dean began to recite the exorcism that his parents had forced him to memorize and the demon fell back for a minute before kicking Dean solidly in the ribs.

He couldn't breathe and his vision blackened at the edges.

"Dean!" He heard Arandi.

"No, Arandi, go!" He yelled as he tried desperately to stand.

"Two in one go." The demon laughed.

Arandi blocked the gym door by sticking a metal folding chair through the door handles. She knew no one could see what was going to happen and she couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt.

She began to recite the exorcism as well and the demon threw her into the wall but she kept going.

Dean started again and the demon all alone couldn't get to both of them on opposite sides.

He soon fell to his knees and the black smoke spiraled up and out an open window.

The coach crumpled to the floor.

Dean moved towards Arandi. He took her face in his hands. "Why would you do that?"

"I can't let anything happen to you." She said simply.

"I…" Dean wanted to start the lecture that he felt was needed but his vision swam.

"Dean…." Arandi gasped as his eyes rolled and he fell onto her lap.

Seconds later the janitor managed to open the other door to the gym and some of the faculty rushed in and stopped in shock as Arandi fell back joining Dean in unconsciousness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi were taken to the hospital and a very confused coach was arrested.

Their parents were called and arrived almost at the same time as the ambulance did at the hospital after breaking every driving law between home and there.

Dean had bruised ribs and Arandi was bruised up but both were going to be kept overnight for observation.

It took some maneuvering but the parents soon convinced the doctor that if they wanted Dean and Arandi to be still and resting they had better put them in the same room.

Mary and Beth stayed with their children while John and Jonathan headed home to tend to their other children.

Every ward and sigil reinforced and extra holy water throughout the houses.

The mothers were well prepared too at least as much as they could be in a hospital. Thank goodness for invisible ink.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the age of ten Dean and Arandi knew that sleeping in the same bed was not considered cute anymore so they learned to separate for the night.

They made friends easily enough but boys didn't understand why Dean wanted Arandi around all the time and the same thought came up with Arandi's friends about Dean.

Not only that but most older siblings felt blessed to have time away from whiny little brothers and sisters but not Dean and Arandi. They always had their kid brother and sister along.

Dean and Arandi made it perfectly clear that none of it was going to change anytime soon and that was that.

Most of the kids accepted it as so because being friends with Dean and Arandi was super cool.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dad, it's almost time for Arandi's soccer game." Dean moaned.

"Yeah, well then you better make all the shots in the next five minutes, kiddo." John growled.

He wasn't upset with Dean so much as being upset that he had to teach his son how to shoot.

Dean rolled his eyes and looked over at Sam who sat on a bench watching and winked. He lifted the pistol and studied the targets for all of fifteen seconds then closed his eyes and pulled the trigger slowly moving his hand until the gun was empty.

He opened his eyes as John stared agape at every dead center hit target while Sam giggled.

"Can we go now?" Dean huffed.

"Show off." John said gruffly but he was bouncing with pride.

His barely eleven year son was out shooting everyone he knew and John could only imagine how great a shot Dean would be as an adult. He was grade a sniper material in the making.

He wouldn't say any of it to Dean the little shit was cocky enough at a young age.

"Yeah, let's get going before Arandi sends out search and rescue." John poked.

Dean blushed but smiled fondly. She did worry about him a lot but that was because that he attracted trouble like a triple powered magnet.

Not to mention that when you grew up in a hunting family there wasn't much left to be afraid of anymore.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat up on his bed in a cold sweat. He couldn't remember his dream but it had to have been bad.

He was about to curl up on his right side and try to catch sleep again when a soft rustling sound caught his attention.

He listened intently and slowly got off the bed when he heard it again followed by what sounded like a whimper.

Dean had become an expert at moving through his house soundlessly but his heart was beating madly, his gut instinct telling him this wasn't anything good.

What could get in? Their house was warded against everything.

"Hello, Dean." He heard the whisper before he reached his little brother's room.

He knew that voice, would remember until the day he died.

"How did you get in here?" Dean hissed seeing the yellow eyed stranger looming over Sammy's bed.

"It takes a lot more that what you have here to stop something like me."

"Leave my brother alone."

"Dean, why can't you see that you can't stop me from getting what I need?"

"Sammy won't go with you."

"Not now he won't but eventually he will give in to me and there's not a thing you can do to prevent it."

"Watch me!" Dean growled and started to say the strongest exorcism that he knew.

Yellow eyes snarled and lifted his hand to throw Dean solidly into the wall hard enough to crack it ceiling to floor.

Dean lay motionless as the demon vanished into nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dad?" Sammy nudged John harder.

"Sammy, what is it?" John groaned tiredly.

"Dean is asleep in the hallway and I can't wake him up." Sammy said worriedly.

John sat up quickly and rushed into the hallway.

Dean lay on his side motionless blood trickling from his nose.

"Dean?" John said worriedly as he kneeled beside his son. The front door slammed open at the same time but John didn't worry as soon as he heard Jonathan and Arandi calling out worriedly.

Arandi had sensed that something was wrong with Dean.

"What happened?" Arandi asked as he gently lifted Dean's head onto her lap.

"The man with the yellow eyes was in my dreams again and he doesn't like Dean very much." Sammy said with wide eyes.

"Yellow eyes was here?" John asked as he called out loudly to Mary.

She had been sleeping soundly being exhausted with after school volunteering and keeping up with the boys.

"I thought I was dreaming but then I saw Dean in the hallway."

Dean moaned then his eyes fluttering open.

"Tell me everything." John said.

Dean winced trying to sit up as Mary rushed to him with a couple of ice packs.

"Is anything broken?"

"Just my pride and the fucking wall." Dean growled.

"Language young man." Mary scolded.

"Sorry but still."

Dean described everything in detail.

"Looks like we have to call in the big guns, there has to be a devil's trap that will keep that bastard out or in as it would be." John said with conviction as he helped his son to his feet.

Dean instantly paled and swayed. "I don't feel so hot." He moaned and slumped into his dad.

"We have to make sure that he doesn't have a concussion." John said lifting Dean into his arms and headed for the car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

After an elaborate story of how Dean had fallen down the stairs while sleep walking he was given the all clear by the ER doctor.

Thankfully he had the entire weekend to recover and Bobby was called in to help out with need for higher power demon proofing.

It took until late Sunday night to find what they were looking for but it was going to take a bit longer to find the ingredients required.

So in that time the Winchesters all shared a room.

Once the new traps were in place they rested a bit easier but still kept a high guard out just in case.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean ran around the track for the tenth time pacing himself evenly so that he wouldn't get tired.

John always said that stamina was better than speed. Luckily Dean had both. He tried to downplay his speed as much as possible but that wasn't always easy.

"Race ya Winchester." Conner the supposed fasted kid in their grade sing songed beside Dean. "Unless you're a chicken shit."

"Of course you would challenge me to a race when I've been running laps and you're fresh." Dean said evenly. "But sure why not."

Conner smiled triumphantly. "Go!" He took off full speed.

Dean grinned and took off catching up with Conner easily and stayed side by side with him even as Conner went faster.

Once Dean saw that Conner was at full speed and losing his breath fast he smiled at him winked and put on his full speed leaving Conner in his dust.

Beating Conner was great. Being seen by the track coach, not so much.

Dean groaned to himself. His dad was going to have his ass.

"Winchester that was amazing." The coach explained and Dean could see the trophies in his eyes.

"Sorry, coach, but I can't take track my dad and I go fishing and hunting nearly every weekend."

"Let me talk to your dad."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

The coach looked about to argue until Arandi's friend Jinx ran up to Dean.

"Billy is harassing Arandi." She said wide eyed.

Dean spun and took off running in the direction that he had seen Jinx coming from and he soon found Arandi standing back against the fence with an over grown Billy in her face.

Dean was ready to beat Billy to a pulp but a look from Arandi stopped him.

Billy spotted Dean and snickered. "Oh look your knight in shining warm ups has arrived."

Billy turned to Dean." Here to defend your little bitch.

Dean bristled but kept his ground. "Actually I'm here to watch my girlfriend kick your ass." He winked at Arandi.

She looked unsure because she wasn't allowed to use her training against normal people.

Dean read her mind. "There are human monsters too and they don't stop unless they get stopped."

Arandi nodded as Billy turned back to her.

"Oh what you're a secret ninja?" Billy scoffed and shoved Arandi.

"Help her, Dean." Jinx wailed.

"Jinx, trust me when I tell you she doesn't need my help."

"How can you stand there picking on a girl that you out weigh by eighty pounds?" Dean called out.

"She thinks she's all that because she already has a boyfriend and laughed when I asked her to the school formal." Billy moved menacingly closer to Arandi.

"She's going with me dumb fuck. You should know that."

"How the hell can you be so serious about each other?"

"We just are." Dean said stepping closer.

"You both need to see other people."

"Never going to happen dude. We've been engaged since we learned how to walk."

Billy only grew more aggravated and went to throw a punch just to intimidate Arandi but instead he found himself painfully on his knees with his arm yanked back.

He tried to move and only ended up getting the wind knocked out him as Arandi easily flipped him onto his back. She then threw a solid punch and pulled it at the last second and laughed as Billy cowered with a girlish squeal.

She stepped back and looked around.

Dean squatted beside Billy his eyes burning green embers. "If you ever threaten Arandi again they will never find the body." He whispered menacingly. He reached over and poked Billy's left arm nerve hard, making his entire arm go numb.

Billy blanched and tried to scamper away.

Dean took Arandi's hand and walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Billy incident was all the school talked about for days and Billy kept his distance.

The coach though hadn't taken the hint and had managed to get a hold of John one day when he arrived to pick up the kids from school.

To Dean's surprise John said it might be a good idea.

Dean didn't even know what to think.

"I'm taking you on your first hunt soon so I need you well-conditioned."

"Whatever you say dad." Dean muttered, not all too thrilled that he had to spend less time with Arandi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"John, I still think he's too young to go out hunting."

"Mary, you know as wells as I do that he needs to have it all down before he becomes an adult."

"How did the years go by so fast?" Mary sighed.

"They did." John sighed right along with her as the Remington's joined them.

Johnny was going on a date and Dean and Arandi were in the tree house while Sam and Jade played in the yard.

"Puberty." Jonathan huffed.

"You don't think…?" Mary trailed off as she stared at the tree house.

"They are going to be each other's firsts. We can't even kid ourselves about that." Beth replied. "The question is when?"

All eyes fell on the tree house.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	5. YOUNG LOVE

Warning for underage sex.

YOUNG LOVE

Dean wasn't so sad after all. Arandi had joined the track team as well and even though she was on the girl's side of it they still got to run together and go out of town for meets on the same bus so it wasn't so bad.

It got on his nerves the way other boys looked at Arandi because she was growing into one unbelievably beautiful girl and Arandi felt the same of him as he grew taller and his muscles more defined.

Dean and Arandi had told their parents that they were running home after school to get the extra exercise and time alone too.

They hadn't counted on suddenly being caught in a down pour of rain and since their parents had long ago picked up the younger kids they were on their own.

A blare of a horn, car going too fast on a rain slicked road and Dean was shoving Arandi out of the way as the car lost control narrowly missing them both.

Arandi lay on the ground panting as Dean covered her with his body and they just stared at each other. Their bodies taking over and their confused minds trying to catch up.

They had both been given the talk but this was a whole new lesson.

Dean knew what hard ons were and of course he had already found out the joys of self-pleasure but this his body in perfect sync with Arandi's and well hello there Mister Woody.

Arandi moved slowly, she knew what the hardness against her inner thigh was but this was a whole new experience and instead of being scared she just wanted to see what it looked like.

"You kids alright?" A voice suddenly cut into their reverie.

Dean jumped up and helped Arandi to her feet and promptly stood behind her trying to control what the hell was going on in his jeans. "We're fine but you shouldn't be driving so fast."

"Tell me about it." The man huffed blinking back the still pouring rain. "Least thing I can do is give you a ride home."

They agreed which put them home an hour before they were expected. They knew that their parents weren't going to be too worried about the rain after all that was another stage of the hunting conditioning.

The man dropped them off on the corner and Dean and Arandi made their way to the tree house.

Their minds still on what had happened and they had an hour to explore.

"We've seen each other naked before." Dean said as they faced each other on the floor knees to knees. Both of them trembling from more than just being soaked to the skin.

"Yeah, when we were two." Arandi huffed.

"We're going to get married, Arandi, so you know we have to see each other naked…a lot."

She sighed staring at the ring Dean had given her. "I know but I'm not done growing and neither are you."

"Then we learn each other's bodies over and over again." His voice cracked another sign of how fast they were growing.

He pulled off his soaked through shirt and Arandi gaped. She had seen Dean shirtless countless times but for some reason now and gleaming with the rain she was breathless.

He thought her flushed face was just the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.

He reached over and touched her cold cheek seeing her lips tremble with the coldness and probably fear of what they were doing.

She sighed and slowly peeled off her own shirt to reveal her already well into developing chest in the sports bra that she wore.

Dean licked his lips and felt the action swelling up again his pants. "Can I?" He whispered.

Arandi turned beet red but she nodded and bit her lip.

He slowly slipped his hand down to her bra and slid his fingers into the cup of her left breast. They both shivered.

Eyes locked with hers he slowly lifted the bra up and away and he felt so uncomfortable in his jeans now at what those two little mounds of flesh made him feel.

"What do we do now?" She asked barely above a whisper.

Dean's answer was to lean in and kiss her and slowly push her down until he was top of her like on the side of the road.

"Dean?"

"Everything else stays on for now." He said huskily in a pant.

"Um but I…" She got even redder.

"What?"

"I want to see what it looks like."

This time Dean turned into the lobster. "I…..ok."

He moved onto his back while she turned on her side and he slowly unzipped his jeans and maneuvered his hardness out of his boxers.

Arandi gasped at the sight. "Now I get why they call it the one eyed snake." She wrinkled her nose but continued to stare. "Can I touch it?"

Dean let out a moan. "Just take it easy ok. It's not as tough as the rest of me."

She nodded and reached slowly over as Dean tensed considerably. She slid a finger over the head and he couldn't help but jerk at the sensation.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked worriedly pulling her hand back.

"Hell no. Far from it." He all but squeaked. "Just don't get scared if stuff comes out alright? It's normal."

"Even I know that." Arandi huffed although she had forgotten. Again she reached over slowly but this time she put her four fingers against him and rubbed gently.

Dean bucked up. "Arandi…."

She liked the way he said her name like she was everything. She wrapped her hand loosely around his hardness and slowly pulled down.

He mewled as if he was pain but the look on his face was anything but. She tightened a little and repeated the motion and his body seized as he cried out her name again and sudden white hot slickness covered her hand and the front of his jeans.

Dean's body jerked as if was being electrocuted and his half lidded eyes stared at her as if was seeing her for the first time.

Ok self-pleasure VS Arandi's hand, her triple pleasure inducing hand. His body shook with an aftershock as she pulled back and grabbed a pack of wet wipes that they kept in the tree house.

"Was that good?" She asked curiously but none too thrilled with the mess.

"Yes, oh hell yes." He sighed.

"It's shrinking."

"'S'what happens after you know. We can't walk around with hard ons all day long without getting arrested."

Arandi looked dejected. "Now what."

He gave a sleepy half smile. "Now we figure out what makes you feel good."

She blushed all over.

"I heard some older guy say something about dry humping. No one gets pregnant but it's supposed to feel good. You want to try that?"

"Yeah, ok." She replied although she had no idea what he meant but Dean would never hurt her.

"Get on your back again." He ordered and rolled on top of her not bothering to put himself away. He positioned himself the way he thought would be right and moved against her.

His dick twitched with renewed interest and Arandi didn't get what the big deal was not until a few moves later when a sudden thrumming of intense pleasure flitted through her cro.

She suddenly grabbed onto Dean pulling him closer. "Do that again."

Dean who was full on board again eagerly complied and Arandi closed her eyes and moaned as pleasure built stronger and stronger with every move from him.

He watched her face enthralled with her opened mouth panting as he neared his second release and fuck that man that nearly ran them over had been a blessing.

Arandi's eyes snapped open and she bucked up to meet his next thrust. "Dean, oh god, Dean, Dean…" Her body shook with the sudden pleasure that filled her from head to toe.

He followed close behind and they both lay breathless on the floor. The way she had said his name had stirred up all kinds of heat inside of him.

Dean had seen his parents moon eyed over each other often and now he got why. He turned to face her smiling and she smiled back.

"That was so not what I expected." Arandi sighed.

"It's supposed to get even better than that after you know you get married and go all the way."

"Hmm, well we better get inside. I'm starving."

Dean smiled sheepishly. "Um can you touch me like that one more time?" At his age he had all the stamina in the world.

Arandi grinned and lit Dean's world one more time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

For a boy growing into a man finding out about such pleasures and then having to suppress them well it wasn't easy.

He and Arandi explored each other as much as they could without actually doing the actual deed and Dean was in literal bliss every time and being the young blood that he was he was hard on every breath.

A mere shift of cloth and he sprung wood. Needless to say he took a lot of showers.

When the formal dance arrived Dean with his parents help went all out to impress his girl and she left him speechless in the dress that she wore and her hair up with soft curls falling over her face.

His heart raced and he was walking with pride because everyone stared at her and she was his.

They danced and had fun with their friends but an hour before the dance was to end. Dean snuck them out to be alone on the roof of the school where they kissed and got each other off the best they could with clothes on.

They had both been told a million times to never drop their guards and they both were usually really good about it.

They had so fucked up tonight.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	6. ALWAYS YOU AND ME

ALWAYS YOU AND ME

Dean felt rather than heard trouble when he was pretty much still in the middle of coming down from an orgasmic high.

"Well, well look what we have here. Nice post orgasmic young blood." The vampire snickered.

Dean's blood boiled. Only he was supposed to see Arandi like that no one else.

He instantly pushed Arandi behind him although she could kick ass as much as him. It was too ingrained in him to protect her to change now and she was damn well used to it.

"Your parents killed most of our nest so we thought we'd get a little payback." A female vampire was suddenly in Dean's face.

"You really think pissing off our parents is a good idea." Dean scoffed.

"Brave of you to come after the kids." Arandi added.

A million ways to get out of the mess went through their minds.

Dean so didn't want to end this night in pain or worse.

There was a whoosh and one of the vamps fell over with a grunt. Another whoosh and another vamp down and suddenly Arandi's older brother Johnny was there, his bow and arrows dipped in dead man's blood.

The other vampires tried to scramble but Johnny tossed Dean a machete and in moments the vamps were dispatched easily.

Johnny stepped up to Dean. "Man, the entire world knows that you Arandi are meant to be but you really need to step your game up. If I hadn't been here to keep surveillance you'd probably be dead or turned by now."

"I always take care of Arandi." Dean growled.

Johnny regarded Dean coolly. "I was your age once and I remember the only thing that I had on the brain or where my brain was actually. I'm not thrilled that my little sister has sailed that ship but it's up to you to keep her safe in more ways than one."

Dean understood what he meant. "Chill out man we haven't done what you're thinking yet and when that time comes I'll make sure she's safe in every way."

Arandi stormed between them. "You know I really fucking hate it when you talk about me as if I'm not even in the same place as you." She hissed at both of them then walked away in a huff.

"Better you than me, bro." Johnny snickered. "You go take care of her and I'll clean up."

Dean hustled after Arandi because if anyone knew how cold the ice princess got when she was pissed it was little old him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dad." Dean tried holding the shotgun tightly in his grasp.

"Listen, Dean, you have to keep your eyes open, these Grevers blend with their surroundings and you don't know that they are there until you're taking your last breath." John lectured.

"Dad…"

"I know it being your first full on hunt that you're nervous and probably a bit scared but just keep thinking what needs to be done and be alert."

"Dad….."

"You need to be listening to me, boy."

Dean rolled his eyes and knew he was going to catch hell later but he had tried. He shoved his dad hard sending him crashing to the ground as the Grevers came at them and Dean barely flinched as he took them out one by one.

John sat on the ground looking rather sheepish as Dean made a full circle to make sure that he gotten them all.

"Nervous, scared, alert. Got it, sir!" Dean sassed.

"Don't push your luck, kiddo."

"Duly noted." Dean said with a cocky grin as he sauntered away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Sammy, what's the matter?" Dean asked when he found Sam in the tree house.

"Jade's mad at me." Sam huffed. "This girl Ruby has been all friendly with me and Jade thinks I like her like that just because I'm nice to her."

Dean clucked his tongue. "Dude, that is dangerous territory especially when your girl is a trained walking Bermuda Triangle."

"Does Arandi do that to you?"

Dean chuckled. "The last time I talked to another girl that wasn't one of our friends I thought I had been transported to the Artic. Still it does work both ways bro, would you like it if it was Jade and another boy?"

Sam bristled. "No."

"Well, there you go then. Don't let this Ruby chick mess up what you got going man. What is with you and precious stones names? You got an Emerald and Diamond on the side maybe a Sapphire or Opal or Pearl?"

Sam laughed. "Thanks Dean, I can always count on you."

"That's what I'm here for, brat."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean could watch Arandi all day doing gymnastics. She was so graceful and man she could bend in ways that even his still young mind ran with in faraway corners.

She was on their trampoline doing incredible air flips in every direction after the lengthy stretching. She was trying to teach herself to have the best possible aim with a bow and arrow while flipping in the air.

His dad didn't think men needed to be that limber. Sure he needed to be able to jump high fences and flip off ledges in case of emergency. His dad believed more in strength and speed and knowing how to use a gun.

Dean's other talents like his dead aim with throwing a knife and his own archery skill came with practicing on his own time with Arandi.

They were deadly. That was beyond a doubt. He was sure even their parents didn't know just how deadly they could be and they were still in high school.

It was hard for Dean to see Sam having to endure the same strict regimen but Sam was good at it, he just didn't enjoy it quite as much as Dean did.

Arandi motioned him to join her on the trampoline. He ran forward jumping onto the edge easily. She wanted to practice flipping over someone.

So Dean stood in place while she flipped over him over and over again. She had it down to near perfection but she thought she needed work on it.

Now on a trampoline Dean could flip with the best of them. When Arandi landed in front of him he wrapped his right arm around her waist. She got the clue and they dipped down going high into the air and flipped together.

Arandi pulled the smaller crossbow from where it was clipped on her pants. Dean pulled her knife from the other side, eyes locked on each other they came over from the flip and he threw the knife while Arandi shot the arrow toward the target a few feet away.

They landed bounced and flipped again. Somehow in midair Arandi turned herself with her back to him and he wrapped around her, they landed in a crouch on the ground.

Looking towards the target both weapons were near dead center. They smiled and celebrated with a little making out.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned back against the headboard of his bed with his arms crossed.

Mary came into the room with his clean laundry and she eyed him and looked around the room. "Do I need to get my eyes checked?"

He looked at her.

"I don't see Arandi."

He huffed. "She's not feeling up to my company."

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"She thinks that I like Mandy Manners and I don't, not like that."

"Didn't you just have this talk with Sam?"

"Practice what I preach right? I just can't believe that after everything she doesn't know that there will never be anyone else."

"Well sweetie, that's is one thing I can guarantee, we woman are complicated and we don't make things easy because most of the time men are jerks."

"Gee thanks mom, I feel much better now."

"There's something else isn't there."

Dean sighed loudly, his mom and her instinct. "I may have made her jealous on purpose because I like the way she gets all flustered and I just…"

Mary smiled. "Oh baby, playing with fire is going to burn your ass and hard."

A commotion from downstairs caught their attention and suddenly Beth was running into Dean's room.

"Please tell me that Arandi is here." She said with her eyes wide and scared.

"No, not right now." Dean replied sitting up suddenly very worried.

"Oh God." Beth sobbed.

"What is it, Beth?" Mary asked.

"She has been in one hell of mood all day long and I snapped at her. She left in a huff to go jog. I just got a call from a friend that there was an accident involving a jogger down the road and oh God, Mary, they were pronounced at the scene. What if it's my baby?"

Dean didn't hear another word. He skidded down the stairs and ran out of the house in a dead run towards where Arandi loved to jog.

His heart shattered with every pace. Arandi was everything to him and he had made her feel like less than that. What would he do without her? Just the thought was agony through his entire being.

He ran faster. He reached the scene with the crowd of rubber neckers and ambulance chasers. He pushed through needing to find Arandi see her be ok only that wasn't what he saw. His eyes fell on the body with the face covered but everything else he recognized with resounding clarity. Arandi's favorite black and white jogging suit, the black and white Nike's, the bracelet that Dean had given her for their birthday. The ring that said she would always be his.

He couldn't breathe. He jumped the tape and ran full speed with police on his heels sliding to a stop beside the lifeless form.

He pulled back the cover as hands reached to pull him back. Arandi's lifeless eyes stared unseeing into the sky above and Dean knew nothing else but the soul shattering scream that ripped from his lungs.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	7. ANCHORED

ANCHORED

"Dean!" Mary yelled shaking her son hard.

Dean bolted straight up looking around his room wide eyed. He saw the laundry basket by Mary's feet and déjà vu filled his mind.

Without a word he took off running as if his very life depended on it and if it pertained to Arandi it did.

He reached the park. He saw her coming around the curve her mind occupied by him more than likely and she stepped into the road.

Dean put every bit of speed that he had into his legs and he went full force at her as the car came around the bend too fast. He tackled her out of the way with hardly a breath to spare making sure to spin so that she would land on top of him.

He stared into her shocked but very much alive blue eyes, a million things tripping through his mind.

"Dean?" She murmured touching his face.

"Are you ok?" He managed to ask as everything seemed to wobble around him. Things poked at his skin and burned.

She moved slowly off of him. "I'm fine just lie still ok?"

He was confused ready to just take her home but when he tried to move agonizing pain shot through his head. He hated the unmanly whimper that he heard from himself.

Then his mind filled with pictures of things he didn't understand. He saw Yellow Eyes with Sam and gasped.

"Dean?!" Arandi said desperately.

Voices of a gathering crowd, the panic of the man that had nearly hit them, a faraway siren sifted through Dean's confused mind. He stared at Arandi seeing the panic in her face and wanted nothing more than to comfort her but the blackness that swallowed him had other plans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke slowly, his head pounding and the antiseptic smell of a hospital filling his nose.

"You have a concussion." Arandi said softly. She held his hand tightly. "They are keeping you overnight and they tried to make me leave and let's just say be glad you slept through it."

Dean smiled weakly. "That's my girl."

Her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears and for him that was like a sword through his heart. She wasn't meant to cry especially if he was the reason.

"I'm going to be fine." He said softly pulling her to sit beside him.

"How did you know? How were you able to save me?"

"It was like a dream and I just knew that it was going to come true."

"So now your psychic?"

"No, not me but I think it was Sam. Don't say anything to my parents though not until I figure this out."

She nodded.

He fought to stay awake but in the end he lost to the pull of sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stared at his little brother as he sat at his computer doing his homework. Their relationship was extraordinary and people always commented on how unique their connection was.

It had taken them both a long time to realize that all brothers were not as close.

Neither of them could imagine it any other way.

"How long have you been have visions?" Dean asked straight to the point.

Sam didn't turn, kept punching keys. "A couple of months now."

"Why didn't you say anything? I mean finding out this way was…..hell scary." Dean huffed as he threw himself across Sam's bed.

"How do you think I felt?" Sam finally turned to face his big brother. "I thought they were dreams until they started happening while I was awake and I saw Mrs. Malloy's dog getting hit by a car and I managed to stop it right before it happened. I didn't even know how to bring it up."

"So this thing with Arandi?"

"I saw her getting hit by that car and dying. Jade and I were at the movies when it happened. I knew I would never get to her in time so I concentrated on you and pushed the image towards you."

"Thank God it worked. I can't even think about a life without Arandi in it." Dean said a chill coursed through him. "Thank you for that, Sammy."

Sam blushed. "I had to for you. Are you going to tell mom and dad?"

"They need to know. It's kind of major thing but you decide when you're ready and you can tell them." Dean sat up on the bed and locked eyes with his brother. "I saw you with Yellow Eyes."

Sam's eyes widened. "I guess I sent a little too much your way."

"Why did I see you with him?"

Sam's eyes skittered to the floor. "I talked to him a few weeks ago."

"You what?!" Dean yelled standing up.

"I was walking home and he just was there walking beside me."

"And you didn't think it was important mentioning that this fucking demon came to you again?"

"Look, Dean, I'm not a baby anymore I can take care of myself."

"You can't handle a demon on your own." Dean began to pace furiously. "What did he say to you?"

"He said that I'm special and I have more important things to deal with than being an average hunter."

"Demons lie, Sammy."

"I know that, Dean."

"What else?"

Sam shrugged. "I told him to fuck off and he laughed and vanished just like that. I don't know what to do. I mean what if he tries to hurt mom and dad, or Jade, or especially you just to get to me."

"You know what we've been taught Sammy, bad things will always try to use who you love against you and you just have to be stronger than that."

"Sounds like a crock a shit to me." Sam huffed and turned back to his work.

Dean didn't push it but he knew things were far from over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Josh Jenkins was a bully. A rich privileged bully. The type that thought mommy and daddy and money would always get him out of shit. He was probably right but then he bullied the wrong kid.

Josh walked with his friends Cory and Seth laughing and carrying on, heading to cars they had no business owning yet but money made many turn their head.

Dean stepped out in front of Josh making him stop short.

"What the fuck get out of my way dude."

"Why don't you make me?" Dean urged.

Recognition filtered over Josh's face. "I see you have to fight your brother's fights."

"Sam can take care of himself in a fair fight. Four on one is a pussy's way."

Josh scowled.

Dean knew that Sam was going to be pissed at him for doing this but Dean had lost it when Sam had come home days before bloodied and bruised.

Getting the truth out of him had been like pulling teeth. Sam knew Dean too well but he also knew Dean would interrogate every student and teacher until he found out the truth. So he had finally spilled.

"Where's your fourth, hell, add a fifth and see what you can do against me, pussy boy."

In the end it was less than fair in any sense of the word. The six that had dared go against Dean didn't stand a snowball's chance. They were all scattered about and Josh leaned against a fence crying because he couldn't feel his legs.

Dean leaned down menacingly and whispered something in his ear. Josh nodded vehemently and Dean twisted at the nerve in Josh's back. The feeling came spilling back into his legs painfully.

The cops looked for days for the homeless man that had attacked the teens.

No one bothered Sam again and the next time Josh ran into Dean he actually pissed on himself.

"I thought we had established that I can take care of myself." Sam announced at the door of Dean's room soon after.

"It wasn't you that went Rambo on their ass?" Dean replied coolly.

"Most of the school thinks it was me especially the way Josh avoids me and all his pals. Don't play stupid."

Dean smirked. "I just did what I've been trained to do since you were born."

"Take care of Sammy, yeah I get that, Dean, but…" Sam started. His brother's green eyes intently glued on his hazel. He just rolled his eyes. "Why waste my breath."

"Thought you'd see it my way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary and Beth sat on the patio watching their men and kids washing the Impala.

Time had gone by like a dream.

Just yesterday Dean and Arandi had been two cute little buttons of energy with wide eyed innocence and now they were on the brink of adulthood all lean and beautiful grace. Sam and Jade right behind them.

Dean had grown into a handsome dynamite of lean muscle, his voice had settled into a low timbre that had most girls hearts a flutter but he had eyes only for Arandi.

That had never changed they were together every moment they got and the mothers knew their children were far from innocent but they chose to pretend otherwise.

Arandi was nothing to disappoint either, beautiful and everything in the right places so if Dean hadn't been at her side forever, he would have fallen eventually.

They were something to behold together. Dean making sure Arandi was as happy as she could be although he loved to set her off every now and then just to see the fire light up under her. The way her blue eyes turned to silverish slits of pure 'get the fuck out of my way or else.'

Now as they washed the car Dean splashed her with water and he kissed away her pout quickly. They didn't do too much open affection in front of the folks.

Both moms sighed. The years of wedding planning didn't seem long enough anymore. There was no doubt that it would happen. Dean and Arandi were in love with one another as sure as oxygen was essential to survive.

That was scary. Dean and Arandi were each other's oxygen and they were barely in high school.

Dean the popular jock that every girl wanted but good luck with that and Arandi the head cheerleader and all out athlete that every boy fawned over but didn't dare do anything but stare because many knew the bad end of Dean's fiery temper and incredible talent of not being found out.

It might as well be said that Dean and Arandi were married the second their life began because that was exactly how it seemed.

The parents all exchanged glances, they didn't have a foot to stand on, although they hadn't been together from birth they remembered what it was like to be young and in love and never getting enough of the other.

They just hoped that they had raised them bright enough to know the good and the bad and the wrong and the right and everything in between.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean lay with his head on Arandi's lap in the tree house as she read their assigned reading out loud to him.

He was still tired and sore from football practice and why should both of them have to read? Beside Arandi didn't mind at all and he could listen to her voice all day. She ran her fingers through his hair as she read and Dean had to fight to stay awake.

She was suddenly quiet and he looked up at her and her faraway look said she was just as far.

"Something wrong?"

She sighed heavily. "Annie Tatum said that you're going to get tired of me eventually that no one stays together as long as we have."

He sat up and kneeled beside her. "Annie Tatum is jealous because she wants me and she can't have me." He kissed her neck.

"Do you love me?"

"How can you ask me that?" He scoffed.

"I don't want to lose you." She said softly her eyes bright.

"You never will." Dean replied not liking anytime Arandi was sad.

She turned and pulled out a folded paper from her binder. "I found this when I was researching that last hunt for Johnny and dad."

Dean took the paper and saw the drawing of an intricate circles and symbols. He raised an eyebrow.

"It's a bonding sigil and I want us to get it tattooed on each other."

"We're getting married."

"I know but this way we're already bound to each other so we don't have to wait so long." She worked that look that had him in melted butter standing in seconds.

"I know someone that will do them for us. We just have to get them somewhere no one will notice. Like our hip bone or around that area. We already have the anti-possession tattoos."

"How bound is bound?" Dean asked knowing his parents would shit a brick since they didn't believe in unnecessary spells or rituals.

Arandi sighed defeated.

"I didn't say no ok I just want to know what we're getting into here." He pulled her onto his lap to straddle him and kissed her gently.

"No one can ever get between us, no matter what."

"Um no one can do that now." He pointed out.

"Do it for me please?" She kissed into his neck.

"Alright." He caved like he usually did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Their birthday party at the club was a great hit by any standards. Their parents had allowed a lot more than they expected.

Dean and Arandi had many friends and having the same birthday of the person that you were in love with wasn't so bad.

The party was still going strong when their parents left to let them have fun and a couple of hours later Arandi was dragging Dean out of the club to head to get the tattoos.

She went first because she knew Dean was going to be stewing the whole time with this virtual stranger touching her.

She wasn't disappointed and Dean even went as far as making her sit back against him while the tattoo was made. The guy didn't bat an eye not even when Arandi handed him vials of their blood and other ingredients that had to go into the ink.

Their parents were not expecting them home until morning so they were covered.

"What the fuck?" The tattoo guy mumbled the second he finished Dean's tattoo.

Dean looked down and shouldn't have been too surprised to see the tattoo giving off a slight glow.

"Man, I hope you two know what you're doing with this mojo shit." He said taking the bundle of money Arandi handed to him.

"Come on we don't have much time." Arandi huffed pulling Dean behind her.

"Time?"

"We have the tattoos now we have to stand in the full moon and recite the spell which will be at its ultimate height on our birthday."

Arandi seemed so excited and Dean followed as usual.

Out in a clearing in the woods they stood face to face holding hands.

The tattoos fresh and sore under the bandage felt hot as they said the words that Arandi had memorized together.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and they felt as if they were being burned where the tattoos were etched.

Dean fell back completely disoriented and Arandi fell on her side gasping for air.

Their ears filled with roaring sounds.

As suddenly as it had started it was over and silence permeated the night.

He crawled besides her making sure that she was ok and winced with fresh pain of the tattoos that were now darker and more pronounced in their skin.

Dean stood up and helped Arandi to her feet. "Are you ok?"

"Yes." She replied.

They kissed soft and needy.

He felt a desire unlike any he had ever felt pulling him inside out. He deepened the kiss, hungry to taste every particle of her and breathe her like his oxygen.

Her soft moans only drove him crazier by the second. "Arandi, I want you so bad." He groaned his open mouth gliding over her neck.

"Do it." She begged.

To him it was like gasoline on an already raging fire. "Where? Not out here I want our first time to be special."

Arandi pulled keys from her pocket. "I know it's a two hour drive but let's go to the cabin."

Dean didn't have to be told twice and he drove like hell hounds were on his ass.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	8. LOVE LIKE NO OTHER

First time sex.

LOVE LIKE NO OTHER

They were barely in the cabin door and clothes started coming off. The had done a lot but they had yet to go all the way and as hard as Dean was in his jeans he wasn't sure how long he could hold out.

The anticipation was killing them both.

He needed her so badly it was actual physical pain and she looked just as desperate. A look that just made him want her more. He leaned to kiss the tattoo making her hiss but she held his head to keep it up. He ran his tongue over the designs slowly. It sent a rush of heated want through them both.

He pushed her onto the bed and looked over her body from head to toe. Then followed the same path with his tongue until she was panting with desire.

Then she did the same to him and neither could remember a time when they had felt so completely consumed.

He slid down her body lifting her legs looking over her hungrily and he kissed the inside of her thighs making her tremble.

Arandi's doctor had given her birth control for something to do with her period. Dean wasn't too clear on the matter but he was sure that her mom had something to do with that for other reasons.

Their parents had to have known that this coming soon and Dean was glad for it because in all his rush to get to the cabin, condoms had not entered his lust consumed mind.

He laced the fingers one hand with hers and with the other he maneuvered himself to align with her.

Locking eyes together he pushed into her slowly, sucking in his breath with swell of pleasure that took over as velvet heat surrounded him.

He stopped when he saw her wince in pain.

"Just do it, please, it's going to hurt but let's just get it over with."

Dean didn't move for a second, he hated hurting her but this couldn't be helped especially when the pain led to bigger better pleasurable things.

He pulled back slightly and then pushed in to the hilt. For him it was utterly unbelievable pleasure. Arandi was clearly in discomfort but it didn't last long.

They fell into a perfect rhythm and lusty moans and breathless words of desire and the falling of names from kiss swollen lips filled the otherwise noiseless cabin.

If there had even been a speck of doubt where they belonged it faded away like whispers in the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean would never know why they waited so long to do this. He had been pretty sure that it couldn't have gotten much better than messy hand jobs and dry humping and the one failed attempt at a blow job because they had nearly been caught by Beth.

He was wrong, so wrong it ached. He wasn't even sure how the hell he was going to keep his hands off her now because even as moved in and out of her he already wanted her again.

The orgasm that had him breathless and his brain on complete melt down. The sounds she made just fucking fuel to the need burning in his gut and beyond. He didn't want to ever have to stop.

Her hands on his burning skin added pleasure to every thrust, his name spilling from her sinful lips twisted the fire deeper and hotter with every move and he couldn't get enough, there would never be enough.

He was so fucked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi lay on her side watching Dean sleep. He was so painfully beautiful in sleep. She would never dare tell him that and wound his warrior manly ego.

They were one now in every way. Getting married was just papers to make it legal but Dean was hers and she was his forever and God help the poor helpless fuckers that thought they could prove otherwise.

She kissed the tattoo gently. Dean whimpered softly, thrusting his hips ever so slightly.

She grinned as she moved up his body. She could get just about anything she wanted out of him with promises of this. Dean was always about pleasing her but this, this was magic.

Not that she minded it at all. Dean's moans and growls of passion were the things of fantasies and they were all hers. The way his face looked when he filled her with his release over and over. A whole new part of life, delicious, sinful, and hers.

People would say they were too young to know such things. People didn't know that in their world they had to grow up too fast.

Dean's eyes fluttered open, filled with desire yet again, his hands hot on her skin. Fingertips sliding like fiery sin over her.

There would never be enough of this, forever wasn't near enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't easy the next few days to not give in to the needs of their bodies.

People had always looked at them as different and now that they damn nearly wore each other it was worse. The forbidden PDA was laughable now.

"You had sex didn't you?" Pauly asked.

He was the closest thing Dean had to a best friend that wasn't Arandi or Sam.

Dean was sure his ears were in flames. "That, goober, is none of your fucking business."

"You so did! Look at you all heated up just about eye fucking her across the hallway."

"Calm your shit, dude, don't talk about my girl like that."

Pauly raised his hands in apology. "Just sayin'."

Annie Tatum sauntered up to them.

"Hey, Dean." She purred a little too close for Dean's comfort.

"Hey, Annie." He moved to get past her but her hand was suddenly in the middle of his chest.

He looked at it as if he was a snake about to fill him with venom. "You really shouldn't touch me." He mumbled.

"Oh come on Dean, you can't tell me that you don't get bored. You have to try different things to know what you really, really want." Her hand moved down.

Actual revulsion filled Dean. "If I wanted different it sure as hell wouldn't be with you."

Annie stepped back as if she had been burned and in the next moment slapped Dean hard across his face.

She didn't even get to savor it before Arandi had her on the floor and she screamed as she got the snot beat out of her.

Dean blinked in shock and wrapped his arms around Arandi's waist to physically pull her off the semi-conscious girl. Everyone stood around in shock.

"Arandi, calm down." Dean whispered soothingly because as strong as he was he was having trouble holding her back.

"Your mine, your mine and only mine why don't they get that." Arandi growled and glared at every girl that seemed to be too close to Dean.

"They will now." Pauly muttered.

"Shut the fuck up." Dean hissed. He held her and waited for the repercussions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean rubbed absently at his jeans above the tattoo which seemed to be on fire at the moment.

Arandi was sitting across from him as both their parents went at them.

"You young lady have gone too far. We have told you time and time again that your training is not for use against normal humans. You are so lucky that that girl's parents didn't press charges only because everyone said that she had started it!" Jonathan fumed and paced.

Arandi stared at the carpet.

"I hate to break it to you darling but there will always be other woman interested in Dean. You can't beat the tar out of every one of them."

Arandi's eyes said. 'Watch me.'

Dean squirmed and prayed he wouldn't spring wood. She looked so utterly sinfully hot when she was all lean pissed off vixen

"You have been suspended for a week and for that you are going to go with us on that hunt that we were requested for in Oregon. Some time away from Dean may make you see things differently."

Arandi and Dean both looked as if they had been told they were being executed in the next three seconds.

"You can't do that!" Arandi screamed as she stood up.

"Oh but I just did and until we leave you are forbidden from seeing each other! Dean, go home!"

Arandi threw herself into Dean's arms sobbing.

Dean held her and kept his eyes down cast, knowing full well that to look at Mr. Remington would be sending a death glare straight from the fiery pits of hell.

"Let's go, Dean." John said from behind him.

Dean kissed Arandi forehead. "It'll be over before you know it."

He didn't know how wrong he would be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Remington's left that night because they knew that Dean and Arandi would do whatever it took to see each other.

To add salt to the wound they let Jade stay with the Winchesters and John decided it was a good time to go on a hunt of their own, let Sam get the feel even though out of everyone Sam hated the life the most.

Dean stared at the phone longingly knowing that Arandi had been grounded from any way that she could get a hold of him or the other way around.

"Dean, in all relationships there has to be a time of separation." John said as he loaded up his truck.

"All due respect dad, I don't want to hear your concept of relationships." Dean said curtly and got in the truck and slammed the door.

Sam sighed loudly as he climbed in the back cab of the truck.

"Are you sure it's such a good idea to take them hunting when neither of their heads is in it?" Mary asked worriedly.

"I'll be on extra alert, I know what's it's like to be young and in love." John kissed his wife goodbye.

They drove in silence for an hour.

"We're hunting a wendigo. Give me the lowdown on what you know."

Dean huffed in annoyance not turning his head from the passing landscape and went into everything he knew his dad wanted to hear.

He gasped loudly when he felt a stabbing pain in his heart at the same time that his tattoo seemed to catch on fire.

"What the hell, Dean?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Stop the truck." Dean blurted out and tumbled out before his dad could even come to complete stop.

Everything around him spun and he hit his knees heaving up everything he had eaten.

Dean didn't need eyes in the back of his head to know that his dad thought he was faking it all just to get back home. So he didn't say a word as he took the bottle of water from his dad's extended hand, rinsed his mouth drank the rest slowly then got back in the truck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had been dozing nearly the entire drive and then sat up suddenly a pain ripping through her chest and her tattoo burning hot.

"Stop the car." She said desperately.

"Not going to work, darling." Her mom scoffed.

Arandi didn't have a choice and she was sort of glad of that. Her parents would have to clean up the mess because they didn't believe her.

She threw up all over the floor board and nearly fell over when her dad slammed the brakes realizing she hadn't been trying to trick them.

"Arandi, for crying out loud since when do you get car sick?"

"I told you to stop." She said tiredly as she stumbled out of the car to retch up the rest.

They spent the next hour at a car wash trying to get the smell out, deciding to spend the night in a motel. Arandi just sat and watched feeling worse by the second.

She rubbed at the tattoo and wished with every bit of her soul that she was in Dean's arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had grown up in a hunter's life so he more or less knew things for what they really were. He didn't wear the rose colored glasses that most of the world wore to live in denial of what was really out there.

He might not be as book smart as Sam but he was no idiot and he knew without a doubt that the tattoo was trouble and that the farther they drove away from Arandi the worse he felt.

If he told his dad, his dad was going to drill him a new one and probably keep on driving to teach him a lesson.

Thankfully they reached their destination soon after but Dean knew that Arandi still had to be moving further away.

They set up camp and Dean was relieved that although he didn't feel full on hunter at the moment, he also wasn't feeling as if he was being ripped in two anymore.

Sam watched him with concern filled eyes. "Dude, you're green."

"Let's just get this hunt bagged tonight if we can, Sammy."

Sam's lips thinned into a line. "If Dean gets hurt because of your idea of punishment, it's all on you." He threw at his dad angrily.

"That tone better come down considerably son." John barked at his youngest.

"Don't make it worse." Dean said.

Sam scowled and moved to sit by the fire. He was barely about to hit butt to log when a loud eerie growl and crashing came from the woods.

They were all on full alert, torches in hand.

"Looks like we'll be home by morning boys." John grinned.

Dean and Sam rolled their eyes at each other.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi tossed and turned restlessly on the bed. She felt as if she was on fire and everything was so loud in her head.

It was the tattoos. She should have researched them more. Of all people she should have known that stuff like that didn't get messed with.

In all fairness though it never entered her mind that she would be states away from Dean, ever.

She got up and headed to the bathroom to splash water on her face and stared at her trembling hands.

She shouldn't have reacted the way she had to Annie. It had been bad enough to see her touching him but when she hit him, Arandi had felt a fury rip through her like lightning and she didn't remember a thing until Dean was pulling her off of the bloody sobbing girl.

If she could only hear his voice. She couldn't risk it though. As much as she needed any connection to him she knew that he was on a hunt and he didn't need any more distractions than he already had.

She moved back to her bed.

"Try to sleep." Beth's voice cut through the dark.

"Gee, why didn't I think of that?" Arandi muttered.

"Don't make things worse for yourself."

"Pretty sure only death could be worse."

"Your obsession with Dean isn't healthy, it's downright scary and maybe we should have separated you a long time ago."

"Obsession? Do you think I planned to be born on the same day and moment as Dean? Do you think it was me that put you in the Winchesters path that fateful day? None of you have even tried to find out what all this means…." Her words of spite cut off as her head filled with a flash of bright light and she heard Dean's voice. 'I love you and somehow I will always be there with you.' "No! Dean, no!" She yelled and fell back into nothing.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	9. SO IT WAS CARVED

I know the cell phones of today were not invented when Dean and Sam were teens. They were big and clunky with long ass antennas but I decided to amend that a bit for this story.

SO IT WAS CARVED

Dean ran like a maniac through the woods, rushing to find his dad and Sam that he had gotten separated from when they realized that it wasn't a wendigo they were dealing with but tree wraiths and more than one.

The torches were not going to help them at all unless they set the entire forest on fire.

Dean shoved silver bullets into his gun as he ran and skidded to stop when he heard his dad curse and loud reverberating sounds of gunfire. Shortly followed by Sam's hoarse shout.

"Sam!" Dean's heart thudded in his chest painfully, his vision swimming. The tattoo burned too hot. He couldn't fail his brother. He couldn't let anything get in the way of keeping his little brother safe.

He loved Arandi. No one better ever doubt that for a moment but what had she gotten them into with these fucking tattoos?

"Dean!" Sam yelled then he grunted as if he was being hurt.

Dean found his second wind, Sam needed him and he briefly wondered if his dad even noticed that Sam never called for him. He ran full throttle, brush and branches be damned, he'd deal with the damage to his body later.

He broke into a clearing just in time to fire three bullets into the wraith presently about to break his brother in two.

The wraith died a swirl of green smoke and mortally wretched from its rotting soul.

Another came at Dean and he killed that one and then another came from another direction and he took it out.

Sam struggled to his feet. Dean saw the wraith coming at his brother and he didn't have time to reload.

He threw himself against Sam, shoving him out of harm's way at the same time that he felt as if his lungs were being ripped out of his chest.

He fell to ground gasping. He heard more gunfire. He heard Sam screaming and then his dad.

He couldn't get oxygen into his lungs. So this was how he was going to die. He saw Arandi in his vision and reached for her. Somehow never touching her again hurt more than the agony his body was caught up in. "I love you and somehow I will always be there for you." He pushed out before he fell into the brightest light.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi woke with a start and realized that they were moving. Somehow her parents thought that while she was out cold it was a good idea to get back on the road and go further away from Dean.

Dean? Oh God Dean. She sat up wild eyed. She clawed at the tattoo that burned her like acid and she couldn't feel Dean and that could only mean one of two things. She was too far from him or he was dead.

"This game of yours isn't going to work, Arandi." Jonathan growled angrily.

She didn't even know where to begin to explain to him how horribly wrong this all was.

They were getting further and further by the second and she didn't know what to do.

"Daddy." She said brokenly, her desperate eyes catching her father's in the rear view mirror a moment before she felt as if her heart was being put into a metal vice full of sharp unmerciful edges.

Jonathan eyes widened as he watched blood slip from his daughter's lips and nose and the light leave her eyes. She fell motionless onto the seat.

He maneuvered the car to the side of the road and jumped out with Beth pulling Arandi on to the pavement.

No breath moved from her.

"Dear God what have I done?" Jonathan sobbed

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The doctor said that Dean is going to be fine. No major arteries were hit." John said to his pale younger son.

"You knew that he wasn't up to this." Sam said low and menacingly.

"Sam, you know as well as I do that he always puts his ass on the line for you."

"He wasn't in it."

"We're going to take him home and deal with this later." John warned.

Sam's grim face didn't change. He knew that Dean needed to be in the hospital at least a few days but his dad was afraid that story that they had told about some unknown animal attacking their camp was going to be ripped full of holes if anyone snooped too closely.

They were almost in the clear when Dean suddenly screamed and arched up from the bed that he was on.

The machines still attached to him screeched their alarm as Dean's vitals went all over the place and medical staff floundered in surprise before moving to see what was happening.

Sam jumped to his brother's side. "Dean!"

Dean only made gurgling noises and he thrashed, blood began to slide from his nose and mouth.

"I don't understand." The doctor muttered as he tried to figure out what was causing the sudden predicament.

Dean sucked in a harsh breath then fell back motionless. The monitor showing him flat lining.

Everyone stood in shock for all of five seconds before they were on the ball.

John and Sam were ushered into the hall and John wondered how swiftly his life would end when Mary got a hold of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jonathan drove like a madman down every back road he knew to get them back home as soon as possible.

Arandi was breathing but just barely and she was burning up with fever that had come on intense and fast.

Beth sat with her daughter's head in her lap praying like she hadn't done in years.

Jonathan desperately pushed redial on his phone trying to get a hold of John but it kept going to voicemail.

"Damn it." Jonathan hissed stepping on the gas a little harder.

"Call Bobby. He'll track them down faster than anyone." Beth said anxiously.

Jonathan breathed easier when Bobby answered on the first ring and he told him in one breath the predicament they were facing.

Bobby huffed. "You're in luck. I just got off the phone with Sam. Seems that Dean got himself hurt in the hunt they were in and they are at the hospital in Mercy. From what you said it going on with your girl. Dean is going through the same thing. Get back home, I'm getting everything I need to get Dean released to me to transfer to another facility if you catch what I'm throwing."

"Yeah, we'll be waiting."

They crossed into a new county and Arandi took an easier breath and seemed to settle.

Jonathan looked at Beth in the mirror. They were exactly three hundred miles from Mercy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As quickly as Dean had deteriorated he began to breathe and settle better.

Thankfully Bobby showed up before the doctor there would get too nosy with more tests and with the proper paperwork and Bobby driving his very own ambulance, they were out before anything else got in the way.

Sam rode close to Dean while John followed in the truck.

It seemed like days before the welcome glow of their front porch light was before them and Mary was rushing out to meet them.

John didn't bother with the gurney. He hefted his less then petite son into his arms and rushed him into the house where Mary had set up the sofa bed.

Time dragged and finally they saw the headlights coming into the driveway.

Jonathan rushed his daughter in the house and laid her beside a pale and unresponsive Dean.

In seconds they both opened their eyes and Dean grabbed for her hand. They were out again before anyone could say a word.

Everyone else exchanged relieved glances.

"Don't know what you're celebrating." Bobby cut in. "These idjits have gone and messed with some serious mojo and we're left having to figure out how to fix it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took a couple of days to get back to full strength. Well for Arandi anyway. Dean having been hurt on top of everything else was taking a bit longer.

The school didn't snoop because they had all the medical papers they would need for Dean to be absent.

When the parents were sure that Dean and Arandi could handle the onslaught they bombarded them with questions and angry accusations.

"It's a bonding sigil tattoo. Dean didn't want to get them but I made him." Arandi confessed.

"You didn't make me do anything." He huffed, not too thrilled with her trying to take the whole thing on herself.

She rolled her eyes and handed the drawing she still had to Bobby.

"Child did you even read how serious this thing is?"

Arandi met his eyes. "I just skimmed the facts. I didn't realize separation of more than three hundred miles would be life threatening."

"And let me guess. You got the tattoos on your birthday and had all the ingredients that were required?"

"The dragon tears were a bitch to find and so was the fairy wing ash."

"All that made the tattoo powerful enough but only one other ingredient would make it damn near unbreakable." Bobby squinted his eyes at Dean and Arandi.

"What?" John asked when no one said anything.

"What is the most powerful love ingredient?"

"Well I don't kn…." John started when he realized how flushed both teens were. "Oh." He concluded dumbly.

"Is there a way to fix it?" Dean asked.

He cringed inwardly at the total look of betrayal on Arandi's face.

"Look Arandi, this shit is dangerous. You could have died."

"You could have too." Sam interjected.

Dean rolled his eyes as he watched Arandi. "I don't like the idea of you …..us being in that predicament. Anyone that wants to hurt us could use it against us."

"Were you planning on putting it on the front page of the paper? Do you have an interview with Barbara Walters or Oprah that I don't know about?" Arandi asked in a hurt tone. She stood up and began to walk backwards.

"Arandi, calm down." Dean started to follow but she was gone before he took one step.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He knew where he would find her. He always knew tattoo or not. He wasn't easy going getting into the tree house but he got into it sweaty and wheezing.

She was laying on the pillow mattress that they had in there curled up on her side facing away, crying.

Dean stood still a minute getting himself together. "It makes me feel as if you have no faith in my feelings for you without this tattoo."

"Now it's just feelings." She replied.

He really didn't want to fight but he had to speak his mind.

"You know that I love you, I've been telling you that since I was old enough to string the words together even if I didn't get them right the first dozen times. Why isn't that enough for you? While you're desperately trying to make sure that we're together forever I'm trying to show you that we don't need any fucking mojo to do it. I want us to be us. I want to believe that twenty five years from now you're still in love with Dean Winchester because he's the most awesome husband in all creation not because these tattoos have us bound to each other."

"I'm sorry." Arandi whispered brokenly. "I'm sorry that I love you so desperately that I was willing to do whatever it took to keep us together. I'm sorry that I love you too much." She suddenly stood up and pulled the knife she had hidden in her jeans.

She yanked her jeans down to reach the tattoo and before Dean could even process what was going on she slashed through the tattoo three times.

Dean jumped and painfully wrestled the knife away from her before she could damage herself more. "Arandi, stop it! What the fuck!" He yelled.

"I'm breaking the bond. It's what you want!"

He stared at her wide eyed. There was blood all over her jeans and hands and then he realized that it was all over him.

"Let me see how bad it is." He stepped forward again.

She stepped back. Her face neutral. "Leave me alone." Then she threw herself out of the tree house window.

For a moment Dean stopped breathing until he saw Arandi in a crouch below the tree. He always forgot how fucking ninja she was because of all her training.

He closed his eyes in relief and when he opened them again she was nowhere to be seen.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	10. BROKEN BONES DON'T HURT THIS MUCH

Warning for sexual content.

BROKEN BONES DON'T HURT THIS MUCH

It had been three weeks since they had gone back to school. Three weeks since Arandi had spoken a word to him, try as he might and it was killing him.

They had never gone this long without talking, holding hands, kissing. Of course everyone in school noticed.

He tried hard to get back in her good graces with flowers and dedicated songs on the radio, jogging the same route beside her, but nothing.

It was rubbing him raw because it was true people didn't really realize what they were missing until it wasn't there.

He was a master on the football field because he needed somewhere to vent his frustrations. Sexual and otherwise.

He needed her so bad and he knew that telling her that he was hornier than the old man that overdosed on Viagra wasn't exactly romantic fodder.

"She's not the only warm pussy out there." Pauly said as they got ready for a game on a Friday.

"Dude, if I needed your lame ass advice I'd shoot myself first." Dean huffed angrily. "Twice."

"What the hell did you do to her? Who in their right mind pisses off a sex goddess like Arandi Remington?" Pauly squealed rather unmanly like when Dean shoved him up against the lockers nearly lifting him off his feet.

"I thought I told you not to talk about her like that."

"That was when she was your girl." Pauly defended.

Dean let him loose and he stared at the floor with his hands on his hips. Were they broken up? The thought was painful. "Tell the coach I'll be right back." He rushed off to find Arandi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He found her warming up with the other cheerleaders and he felt hot all over seeing her bend and contort in way that he wanted to explore for hours.

He started to call to her and stopped. His chest filled with an unbelievable ache.

She noticed him standing there looking wounded and pale and he only stared at her as if he she had just told him he had moments to live.

He could perfectly understand now how painful it was for her to hear him explain how he felt about the tattoos because staring at the empty finger where his ring had sat for as long as he could remember, only being removed rather reluctantly to be resized, was like his heart being raked by sharp claws.

He turned and walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi watched Dean walk away and it took a lot of effort not to follow him. He looked broken and she hated to see him like that.

She was being stubborn. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed the attention she just hated the reason behind it.

She knew Dean loved her. They were the genuine article when it came to the term soulmates. Still she couldn't shake the fear that Dean would tire of her and leave her for another.

She saw it happen every day in real life and especially celebrity wise. Men married to the most gorgeous women in the world cheating and leaving them for others.

Beauty wasn't enough it seemed.

"Don't knock me on my ass or anything." Mindy said beside her. One of her friends and fellow cheerleader. "He's not going to try to get you back forever."

'Crap.' Arandi thought. Mindy had a good point. She was so busy worrying about losing Dean and she was the one pushing him away. Just about every girl in the school drooled over him.

She looked at her hand where she had always worn Dean's ring. "Fuck." She kicked at the grass under her feet. He had seen the missing ring. That was why he had looked so hurt.

A part of her was glad that he felt that pain for making her feel it but losing Dean wasn't an option. Not now, not ever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean played like he was possessed. The coach couldn't praise him enough thinking Dean's mind was totally in tuned with the game when it was anything but.

All Dean could process was that Arandi wasn't wearing the ring which meant he had really hurt her. Instead of working things out she had decided to move on and he could hardly stomach the thought of anyone else touching her like he had.

It wasn't all about just the sex either. He needed her because he could tell her anything. She understood and accepted all his idiosyncrasies. She laughed at all his jokes no matter how ridiculous they were. He needed her sex or not.

Fuck he needed to break something really badly.

He looked over at her every chance he got and she cheered like nothing was different. She just wouldn't look back at him.

The game over and won, the team members planned on meeting at a party going on by the lake. Everyone was supposed to be there.

Dean walked towards the Impala eyes everywhere trying to spot Arandi again. When he saw her he felt like he was being kicked in his jewels as she leaned back against a fence and a player from the other team leaned one handed over her talking to her a little too close. That was it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi hadn't even bothered to change into her clothes. As soon as she was able she shot out of the locker room intent on finding Dean and ending this stupid….whatever.

She needed him. He made her laugh all the time and all her quirks only seemed to make him love her more. He listened to her and always knew how to make her feel better.

She had always thought that people saying they couldn't breathe without the person they loved was taking it a step too far. Well someone hand her fucking inhaler and crank up the nebulizer. Her lungs were dangerously low on oxygen.

She looked everywhere for him and finally spotted him coming out of the locker room. She started that way and ran right into a player from the other team.

"I was hoping I could find you." He said with a huge grin. He licked his lips. Displaying his intentions probably unintentionally.

She stepped back and stopped suddenly stopped by the fence. She was so going to kick this dudes ass if didn't back off in two point three seconds.

He boxed her in with an arm against the fence. "Man, I couldn't stop looking at you. You are so beautiful."

Arandi saw Dean coming.

It looked like she wasn't doing the ass kicking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

That was it. That was all Dean's battered pride could handle and before he knew what he was doing he was there beside them. As much as he wanted to pummel the living fuck out of the guy there were other things that were high priority and with one 'you better walk the fuck away now while you can still walk' glare Dean shoved him aside and took Arandi's face in his hands.

"You can be fucking pissed at me till heaven and hell have poker night on Wednesday's and God is the headliner at WrestleMania but you are mine and nothing is ever going to change that as long as I'm on this side of the grass." With that he pulled her into a deep hungry kiss and he felt as if he was finally really breathing again.

At first Arandi tried to pull back but his one hand on her waist and the other cupping her face, she started to cave little by little until she was giving as good as she was getting.

"I love you." He whispered into her lips over and over. The best sound in the world was when she finally said it back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean felt light and happy as Arandi sat between his legs where he sat on someone's tailgate. He leaned in and kissed her neck every chance that he could and it was then that he had discovered that she had the ring on a chain around her neck which technically meant that she had still been wearing it. Well at least he chose to see it that way.

She looked so content and was the perfect fit in his arms. Always was.

They started kissing tuning out everyone else. Making up for lost time.

"I'm getting cold. Let's get out of here." She told him after a couple of hours had gone by.

Dean agreed and they headed hand in hand to the Impala. They had yet to talk about anything and he knew they had too. So he drove them to the other side of the lake away from the party and drinking.

Arandi opened the door and got out and Dean followed.

"I thought you said you were cold." He grinned as he pulled her close.

"I figured that you would find a way to heat me up." She grinned back.

"I have some ideas." He kissed into her neck. "How about that?"

"Good start." She sighed opening up her neck for better access.

Dean sighed too and stopped. He needed to clear things before he let his brain slip into his dick. "Are we ok?"

"Yeah, we're ok. I'm sorry that I acted like a spoiled brat." Arandi said batting her eyelashes at him.

"I shouldn't have you so spoiled and I'm sorry that I acted like such a fucking dick."

"You were right though. I should trust that our love is enough. Bobby said that me cutting into the sigil was much like breaking a devil's trap or salt line."

"So they're just plain tattoos now?"

"Yeah, I guess." Arandi sighed.

"I love you." Dean said lifting her face up with a finger under her chin.

"I love you too."

He pushed her against the car kissing her breathless.

She pushed him away and opened the back door to the car and signaled for him to sit facing out.

She worked his jeans open and he leaned his head back eyes closed enjoying just the feel of her touch.

He whimpered and jumped when she pulled him free and moments later he felt the warmth of her mouth surround his aching cock.

It wasn't what he wanted though. It wasn't what he needed so he pulled her into the car with him and closed the door.

He was so glad that she was still wearing the cheerleader uniform, short skirt and bloomers.

He pushed them out of his way and pushed into her letting out a desperate moan of need and want that she quickly added too.

Her moans grew desperate and needy and Dean felt alive as he watched her face.

"Tell me, baby girl, where it feels good. Tell me how to make you scream my name."

She dropped her head back changing the position slightly. "Oh fuck right there." She moaned so beautifully that Dean had to still for a minute to keep from going over.

He moved the same way again and she said his name like lustful sin so he did it again and again until she was saying a mantra of his name intermingled with 'yes' and 'fuck yeah' and 'please don't stop.'

The windows of the car were completely fogged over with their heated breathing. The Impala creaking evenly as they moved together.

Dean felt his climax climbing higher and higher and his own monotony of curses and her name mixed with his. He knew he was probably bruising her the way he held her hips but he was too far gone to care.

They went over together and they clung to each other kissing through the bliss that overtook their bodies completely.

He couldn't believe that he had almost lost this. Arandi rocked against him working them through the delicious aftershocks and finally they just kissed lazily.

He wasn't sure how long they were like that before it crossed his mind to look at the time. "Crap we're five minutes from being late."

"No way are we going to make it." Arandi said kissing him right in that spot behind his ear that made his body seize.

"If you keep that up we're going to be really, really late." He breathed opened mouthed as he felt his cock swelling quick and fast.

Arandi grinned devilishly. "Hell if we're going to be late we might as well do it right."

Dean matched her grin. "I like the way you think." He pushed her onto the seat putting his jacket under her head and blanketed her with his body. "I like the way you everything." He growled and pushed back into her, hard as if he hadn't just had an earth tilting orgasm only moments before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dressed and freshened up they kissed against the passenger door a bit longer.

"You know those rumors about make up sex being the best sex is no lie." Dean said cupping two handfuls of firm ass.

"Mmm." Arandi kissed under his chin. "We really need to go before we have to wait another three weeks."

"Leave your window unlocked because I'm not done with you yet." He whispered into her ear and then nibbled on her earlobe.

"Fuck, Dean." She shuddered and began to reach for his fly.

They both bolted to full attention when a blood curdling scream came across the lake, followed by a multitude of shouting and other screams.

They exchanged looks and jumped in the car. Dean drove like mad back to the party.

People were running back and forth, many leaving in a rush and a few brave at the water's edge as Dean and Arandi jumped from the car.

"What the hell?" Dean asked a wide eyed Pauly.

"Something pulled Annie Tatum into the water and Scott Webber tried to get her out and it got him too."

Dean scanned the water looking for what he knew would be there. Eerie green eyes glowing just under the surface.

"Water wraith." He and Arandi said at the same time.

They ran back to the Impala making sure that no one was being nosy and pulled what they needed from the weapons cache.

"I'll go in and you wait." Dean said even though he already knew the answer.

Arandi glared at him. "I'm a hunter too and there are two people to get out so move it, we're wasting time."

She kicked off her shoes and was in the water before Dean could protest. He followed right behind.

In their training they had had to learn to hold their breath under water for as long as humanly possible. So they were able to stay under a lot longer than most people.

Soon enough they spotted Annie and Scott, the last trail of air bubbles leaving their lips as their struggles ceased.

The water wraith came at them but Dean pulled the silver blade and slammed it into the fugly creature and it quickly filled their heads with ear splitting screeching before dispersing into a million nasty black bubbles and scales.

Dean moved forward to grab Scott and felt intense pain shoot through his side. Spinning to see what had happened, he found Arandi struggling with two more wraiths.

He moved as fast as he could and between them they took the wraiths out. They quickly looked around to make sure they were alone before grabbing the floating couple and heading up.

As soon as they broke surface the few brave that dared to get near the water jumped in to help them.

Once on shore, Dean even though he felt as if he was going to pass out at any moment, checked Scott over while Arandi did the same to Annie.

Dean knew that Arandi couldn't stand Annie but he also knew that Arandi wouldn't let anyone die on purpose.

Sure enough Arandi put her arms around Annie's chest and squeezed as if doing the Heimlich and water frothed out from Annie's mouth and nose but she started to struggle feebly.

Dean in turn took both fists together and gave Scott a solid well placed blow and the same watery froth spewed from him as he turned on his side and retched out the rest.

They were all alive and the panicked crowd began to cheer.

Pauly put a huge towel around Arandi's shoulders. "Ambulance is on its way."

Dean fell onto his back staring at the starry sky, his side on fire and the sounds around him began to muffle.

"Dean?" Arandi came into view.

"It got me. You have to clean it out before it gets worse."

"We have to get out of here so come on help me out." Arandi said trying to get him to his feet.

Dean used what he had left in him and struggled to his feet.

"Hey the ambulance, man." Someone said.

"My Uncle Bobby is a doctor and he's staying at my house right now. He will know what to do and no thousand dollar hospital bill." Dean tried to smile and hoped he succeeded.

The small crowd parted and they got to the car and Dean slid into the passenger side just as everything went pitch black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat up screaming. His side on fire and he shoved at the pressure beside him.

"Fuck, Dean, stop it." Arandi's voice cut through the haze and pain. "I'm trying to help you."

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you." He slurred trying to focus.

"Be still will you I have to keep pouring the holy water until your blood turns back to normal color."

"Answer the question." Dean said stubbornly.

"I'll be fine." Arandi huffed.

Which to him meant that he had hurt her unintentionally. "Where let me see?"

"Dean!" Arandi yelled in frustration and really didn't have that much trouble pushing him down.

Before he could try to sit up again she poured more holy water and he screeched arching up off the back seat and his mind muddled through 'how in the hell did I get back here.'

Arandi continued to pour and he grabbed onto whatever he could until finally blessedly the darkness claimed him again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, wake up." Arandi's voice cut into the fog again. "We're home and our parents are going to flip."

Dean pushed his eyes open and although he felt hot and groggy he felt a bit better.

He pushed the passenger door open and made it out as his dad and Arandi's came towards the drive way from the porch.

"You two are late. Since when did you make up? Are you drunk?"

"Water wraiths." Dean managed before he pitched forward and he wasn't sure whose dad caught him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean felt as if he was still in the water. He struggled forward. Arandi? Where the hell was Arandi?

"Calm down, sweetheart, Arandi is right in the other room with her mom." Mary said softly.

"Did she stop the poison?" He asked trying to get his eyes to focus.

"She got it but we have to worry about the scales now. They are just as bad if not worse. They are all over your clothes and some of them probably got through so you need to get them off. I know you won't appreciate your mom going below your belly."

Dean eyes widened and he made himself sit up.

"You have to try to stay awake for a bit longer because that crap is going to make you sleep for a couple of days."

"Annie and Scott they have to have scales too."

"Your dad and Jonathan are taking care of that right now. They can't exactly do a thorough body search on them so they are just going to inject them with antidote which will make them sicker than a dog before it works completely but they should be fine. You and Arandi don't have to take that nasty crap just get in the shower with hottest water you can stand and take this special body wash and rub in everywhere you find a scale especially if it broke skin."

Beth came into the room. "Arandi's starting to throw up nasty green crap so it's for sure she has scales in her skin. So as much as it pains me to say this they are going to have to search each other in the shower."

Mary pursed her lips but nodded. "As long as they are done before the men return. Go on get going before we realize what we did."

Dean stumbled into the room where Arandi was and grabbed her hand and headed up the stairs.

He pulled her into the bathroom locked the door, he started the hot water and then began to pull her clothes off.

"Our moms." Arandi protested.

"This was their idea so let's get this done before our dads break down the door.

As soon as they were naked they slipped into the shower and Dean instantly began searching every inch of Arandi's body for the deadly scales. He tossed them onto the pile of clothes that he knew that his parents were going to burn and thankfully Arandi had back up cheerleader uniforms.

Arandi did the same to him and they lathered on the concoction as they went.

They felt drugged and any other time they would have been all over each other but they both were sure their mothers were hovering outside the door and they weren't exactly up for it.

They searched each other again to make sure then washed each other's hair.

Out of the shower they dried each other off and made a grand show of coming out of the bathroom so that their moms would go away because they had not taken the time to bring extra clothes with them.

Wrapped only in towels they made it to Dean's room where he handed Arandi some underwear of hers that he just happened to have and one of his t-shirts which he managed to notice looked absolutely fantastic on her. He slipped on pajama bottoms and then pulled back the comforter of his bed and climbed under and pulled Arandi with him.

"Um I don't think our parents had this part planned quite like this." Arandi yawned.

"I can't stay awake another second. Can you?"

She had already dropped off.

He pulled her as close as he dared and joined her.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for reading!


	11. DANCE WITH THE DEVIL

DANCING WITH THE DEVIL

"This is beyond inappropriate." Jonathan hissed standing in the doorway of Dean's room and seeing his daughter in Dean's arms. Both of them looking like angels, halos just slightly tarnished and bent but who could tell with those two.

Beth scoffed. "I seem to remember when a certain boy couldn't keep his hands to himself either."

Jonathan remembered all too well that was the whole problem but still….."This is different…..this…..is…..it's….."

John snickered.

"Of course you don't care. Your son is scoring with my little girl." His little girl that could kick just about any man's ass that deserved it in real time and not break a sweat.

"Oh I care but also remember what it's like to be in their shoes and come on, they have been together a lifetime already you knew that this was coming." John remember all too well the need to be with Mary when they were that age.

Jonathan sighed defeated. "She's safe with him and he loves her so I guess I can…..this isn't easy you know."

They all knew.

The doorbell rang before anyone could respond.

John went down to answer and knew that it had to be something big for someone to be there at nearly four in the morning.

It was two police officers who had finally managed to piece together what had happened at the lake sort of anyway but weren't even close and were coming to check on Dean and Arandi because they had been deemed heroes for their actions.

"We just need to ask them a few questions." Officers Sloan said.

"I'm really sorry, Officer Sloan, but my brother is a doctor and they were hurting so he gave them something to help them rest. If you don't mind can you come back Monday?"

"We can come back tomorrow." Officer Grey said.

"Um well he gave them some really good stuff and we want them to get rest, they went through a rather close call."

The officers exchanged bewildered glances.

"Any news on the other kids? Or any idea what happened?" John asked in the most concerned tone that he could pull off. Jonathan and he had been able to administer the antidote so the kids were going to feel as if they had eaten a couple of dozen bad tacos but they would be fine.

"The kids are pretty out of it right now and as far as anyone can come up with they are assuming it might be a couple of alligators that someone couldn't take care of anymore and they dumped them in the lake. There is going to be a crew out there dredging early tomorrow."

John nodded and tried really hard not to look at them as if they were morons. Hell he felt like a moron that there had been water wraiths in such close proximity and they had gone unaware.

They couldn't have been there long, that was the only thing that he could think of as a reason. Which meant that someone had died a violent death in that water. More than one somebodies if what they had managed to pull from Dean and Arandi was right.

He had a feeling the search was going to extract something a lot more morbid than alligators.

He told the officers to be by around lunch time on Monday. He wasn't letting Dean go to school just to make sure he didn't have any lingering effects and he was sure the Remington's would do the same with Arandi. If they didn't she would stay with Dean anyway. John was certain of that.

He closed the door and Mary and the other adults were sitting in the living room drinking coffee.

He gave the gist of what had happened. They sat quietly after pondering just what it all meant and knew that they had to do their own research to make sure it was really over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You should have called me!" Sam hollered at his dad.

"You need to ease that tone with me, son!" John hollered back.

"No, Dean was hurt and you should have called me." Sam paced furiously.

"Sam, it was the middle of the night and I doubt your debate coach was going to rush you home because Dean was fine and sleeping." Mary added calmly.

"What if it wasn't that simple?"

"It was." John and Mary said at the same time.

"I need to know these things, just please if anything like this happens again no matter how simple you think it is, just please get me back home." Did he really have to spell out to them that his biggest fear was losing one of them to the supernatural?

Mary knew her son rather well. "Sam, what's going on? Is there something we need to know?" She dreaded the answer, her mother's instinct screeching in her head and tugging at her heart.

Sam sighed and stopped pacing. "I've been having visions. I didn't see this though. Something this important." He blurted.

"You've what?" John and Mary again replied together.

Sam explained as best as he could and then rather cautiously added the part of running into Yellow Eyes.

John and Mary exchanged worried glances and something that Sam was sure was acknowledgement.

"You knew this was coming didn't you?" He accused.

Mary sighed. "More or less yes but not quite like this."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I didn't think we've be having this conversation until you were older." John said as he ran his hand over his face.

"Look, Sam, I know you want to know everything but we're going to wait until Dean can be a part of this so everyone knows at the same time alright."

Sam didn't like it one bit but he knew Dean would be furious with him if he pushed it. He was grateful that there was still a Dean around to be furious. He nodded and went off to do anything that would occupy his mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stirred fitfully on the bed trying to kick off the covers because he suddenly felt very hot.

"It's much hotter where I'm from." A thick gnarled voice said from the dark.

Dean pushed himself to sit up the entire room spinning like crazy. "Get out!" He yelled.

"No can do." Yellow eyes stepped into the light. "At least not until I get what I came for."

"You leave my brother alone." Dean warned crawling off the bed hiding Arandi under the covers.

He swayed precariously.

Yellow Eyes smiled. "What are you going to do? You can't even stand up."

Dean shot the most menacing glare that he could manage. "How are you even in here?"

"Oh your devil's traps? They are good and some of them actually hurt but I've been in better."

"You're not real." Dean theorized in his muddled brain.

"I'm not?" Yellow Eyes twisted his head slightly.

Dean cried out in pain and he felt as if his stomach had caught on fire. He crashed to his knees.

"My name is Azazel. Remember that name because you will get to know me rather well."

Dean stubbornly stood back up. "I won't forget it because I'm going to be the one that kills you."

Azazel smirked and upped the power slightly.

Dean fell on his side gasping.

"Leave my brother alone!" Sam screamed running into the room to kneel by Dean.

Azazel upped the power a bit more and Dean coughed, blood splattered his lips.

"I said leave him alone." Sam growled and Azazel screeched in surprise as he was lifted off his feet and slammed into the hallway wall.

Sam stood up in surprise. Was he doing that? He tested it and pushed harder.

Azazel grimaced as he struggled to break free. "Well, well, Sammy, looks as if you're growing into your powers just fine. You're going to do so well for me."

"Only Dean can call me that." Sam hissed. He walked into the hallway. Maybe if he knew what he was doing he might be able to end it all now.

Dean somehow had managed to get to his feet and was leaning heavily in the doorway to his room. "Don't listen to him, Sammy, you're not like him, you're never going to be like him. Not as long as I'm around."

"That can be fixed." Azazel hissed and Dean flew into the air straight for the stairs. Sam screamed trying to control Dean and Azazel at the time.

Azazel disappeared leaving behind hysterical laughter and Dean crashed into the stairs banister with a scream of pain.

Sam tried as hard as he could but Dean tumbled down the stairs and landed motionless at the bottom.

He lay on his stomach both hands loose by his head. A cut on near his temple oozed blood and his lips were still red with blood.

Sam was frozen and he startled when Arandi stumbled by him crying out for Dean.

She could barely stand herself but she had managed to wake up long enough to see Dean take the dive.

She was at his side in seconds.

The back door slammed and footfalls fell heavily through the kitchen as John and Jonathan ran into the house to find out what all the commotion was about. Mary and Beth close behind.

They all stopped startled seeing Dean at the bottom of the stairs with Arandi worriedly checking him over.

All eyes fell on Sam who stood stunned at the top of the stairs.

"His name is Azazel." Sam said. He made his way slowly down.

By now John and Mary were working over Dean. They all had acquired the best of triage knowledge in there line of work.

"I don't think he broke anything." Arandi sighed leaning back against the wall as she watched.

"No, nothing broken but for sure bruised ribs and maybe a slight concussion." John assessed. "You gonna tell us what happened?" He eyed Sam worriedly.

"He got in the house again." Sam began. "I thought we had the strongest traps and wards?"

"We do." John replied. He and Mary gently flipped Dean over. John tapped his son's face.

Dean's eyes fluttered open. "Sam, where's Sam, where's Arandi?"

"They are both right here, kiddo. Can you tell me if anything besides your head and ribs hurt?"

Dean seemed to think for a moment. He huffed. "Easier to tell you what doesn't hurt."

"He's gonna be fine." Mary chuckled in relief.

John leaned in to lift Dean into his arms.

"I think I can walk, dad." Dean groused and turned red.

"That's nice but you just got tossed like a Frisbee and there was no one there to catch you so…."

"Dad…" Dean cut off in a groan as his dad lifted him. His dad might have a point but it was still embarrassing.

"Dean, you're hurt so suck it up." Arandi caressed his arm.

He sighed dramatically. "Fine but don't drop me because I ain't no petite damsel."

"You're telling me, lard ass." John grunted and started back up the stairs.

"It's all muscle, old man."

"Whatever gets you through the bag of Oreos."

Once they had Dean cleaned up and back in bed and Arandi right beside him, Dean told them what had happened up until the point where Sam arrived.

"Are you going to tell us what this is all about now?" Sam asked standing firm with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Arandi, this seems to be a family thing so we need to go."

Dean instantly tightened his grip on her.

"Jonathan, Beth, you are family and since it is very evident that our sons and your daughters are going to make lives together, you might as well hear it now."

"Where's Jade?" Sam asked.

"We thought she was here with you." Beth answered.

"She left a while ago before all this happened. I watched her go into the back door and then I came in had a snack and that's when everything happened."

"Oh God, Jade." Beth rushed out the door followed by Sam and Jonathan.

"Don't even think about it, Dean." John pointed a finger at him and followed throwing Mary a glance to stay and watch their son.

Arandi was already following even though she was pale and shaky.

"Arandi don't…" Dean tried to stand but just couldn't pull it off.

"She's my sister, I'm supposed to take care of her."

Dean hated it but he nodded and she was gone.

Mary not being able to sit still started checking the traps and wards around the upstairs hallway. "What the hell?" She muttered to herself.

Moments later everyone returned with Jade in tow. She had started reading a book in the study and had fallen asleep on the big overstuffed sofa that they kept in there before anyone realized that she was home.

Sam hugged her close to him. He had been terrified in the minutes that they couldn't find her that Azazel had hurt her or even taken her.

He was too young to have to be dealing with such serious crap.

Mary and Beth quickly made some sandwiches and got drinks and they all made themselves comfortable around Dean's room.

Mary sat on at the foot of Dean's bed where she could look them and Sam on the floor in front of her with Jade while John leaned by the wall close by.

Mary reached to smooth Sam's hair and gripped Dean's ankle at the same time with her other hand. She sighed deeply.

"You all know the story of how John and I met on a hunt?" She began.

The boys nodded.

She looked at John. "We became pretty much inseparable from that moment forward. We were barely seventeen and living far less normal lives than most teens. It was so nice to have someone who understood the life and all the sacrifices that came with it."

Mary and John exchanged loving looks.

"My dad was not too thrilled that I ended with another hunter and I just don't know what he expected but I was in love and that was that. He let it go but trust me he made your dad miserable every chance he got."

"Only I was too in love to care." John chuckled.

"Once we turned eighteen we were going to get married and move on with our lives. We wanted to stop hunting start a family out of the hunting life." Mary sighed deeply again and John moved to sit close behind her.

"Things changed a bit when John enlisted but I waited for him and that made my dad a bit more accepting. I didn't hunt after that unless I was really needed."

"As soon as he got back we started making plans we got the Impala and all was going to be just perfect. Then my dad started acting really weird and it didn't take long for my mom to figure out that he was possessed. We just couldn't figure out how. It was Yellow Eyes, Azazel whatever. We tried to save my dad but he….." Tears streamed down Mary's face and John hugged from behind. "He killed my mom."

Everyone stared shocked. They all knew that Deana Winchester had died young but Mary had always made it seem like it been an accident that took her.

Mary gripped John's arms. "Then he killed John."

"What?" Dean and Sam exclaimed at the same time.

"He killed your dad and I had just found out that day that I was pregnant with you Dean, so I was lost. He had me trapped, I needed John because I had just lost everything and I knew that I was going to lose my dad too so I made a deal."

"Mom." Dean groaned.

"I know, sweetie, I know. There was just no way in that time that I could be a pregnant single woman."

"But it's been over ten years and you're still alive…thank God." Sam added.

"That wasn't the deal. He just said that someday he would come back and ask me to do something for him and I had to do it. In the grief state of mind that I was in, I agreed. John instantly came back to life and Azazel left my dad's body, he was already dead."

"If he wants you to do something for him why is he after Sam?" Dean asked.

"We think that he wants to make Sam one of his soldiers, that he's the reason that Sam has these new talents."

"Soldier? Why me? Dean is way better suited for that."

"Gee, thanks little brother." Dean grumbled.

"You know what I mean." Sam huffed.

"We don't know but I'm sure that it's not anything good and I wish that I could change it all. Everything since that day has just been a string of incidents that have led us here and when we met the Remington's we were hoping that maybe we could throw things in a different direction but so far it hasn't worked." Mary sighed heavily. "Oh and by the way I checked the sigils while you were all looking for Jade and many of them were tampered with."

"Who would do that?" Dean winced as he shifted on the bed.

"Oh crap." Sam mumbled and all eyes turned to him. "Ruby."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	12. LOOK OUT FOR SAMMY

Some sexual content.

WATCH OUT FOR SAMMY

"Ruby?" Jade hissed. "She was here?"

Sam blushed bright red. "She wanted to be friends, Jade."

"Yeah, sure just friends. So why doesn't she want to be friends with me?"

"Because you always look at her like she should burst into flames and like you'd be happy to pour extra gas." Sam grumbled. "I don't know why you're so jealous of her."

"The same reason that you're jealous of Anthony." Jade growled.

"Alright. What makes you think it was her?" Arandi interrupted giving her sister a 'calm the hell' down glare.

"She came by the other day asking me if I could make copies of my history notes because she had lost hers. So I let her in and told her she could wait in the living room while I made the copies. Only when I came out of the study she was coming from upstairs and she claimed she had been looking for a bathroom."

"And you neglected to tell me this because…? Jade asked in a murderous tone.

Sam only gestured with his hands towards her to convey the way she was acting was the reason.

Jade rolled her eyes and walked out of the room

Sam took a deep breath and followed.

Dean leaned back with a loud sigh. "How does a young girl get wrapped up into altering sigils for a powerful demon?"

They all exchanged glances because the answer couldn't be anything good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The four grownups busied themselves reinforcing the sigils.

Sam and Jade were somewhere down stairs dealing with the Ruby issue and Dean and Arandi lay on the bed in deep thought.

"I can tell you already that my parents are going to insist that I go home before they leave." Arandi sighed.

"I know." Dean huffed. "Could practically read your dad's mind."

"So we have a little bit of time." She kissed that spot behind his ear.

Hurt or not that was pure salve to his soul. "Our parents are just on the other side of that door." He stuttered out, getting hard instantly.

"Makes it a whole other side of kinky." She sighed into his neck.

"Baby, we really shouldn't….." He moaned a little too loud as her hand slipped into his pajamas and wrapped around him perfectly. "Fu….ck."

"If only." She breathed. "Just have to improvise."

Dean's eyes rolled. If anyone knew how to improvise it was her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was a boneless, useless, yawning pile of flesh by the time Arandi's parents were suggesting she needed to go with them.

She didn't argue. She slid out from under the covers, purposely swiping her fingertips over Dean's still tingling cock. He had to bite his tongue to suppress the moan and hoped the shudder that took his body would be mistaken for chills from her lifting the covers.

She leaned into kiss him on the cheek. "See you in the morning." She said out loud. "Think really hard on how you're going to make that up to me." She breathed hotly in his ear before she stood up looking completely innocent. Like she hadn't just fucking giving him a hand job with a wash cloth that he had actually had to stuff the comforter into his mouth to keep from giving himself away.

Damn did he love her. Now he would be hard for the rest of the night thinking about what she had done to him and what he so wanted to do to her.

Thankfully his mom gave him the good stuff, thinking that he was in too much pain and he was out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Meet me in the tree house.' He texted her on Monday. She had been by to share breakfast with him but then her mom wanted her to rest in her own bed.

They had seen each other again when the same police duo had showed up to question them.

They deserved awards for their performance.

Their moms had gone to buy groceries together because Dean and Arandi had made sure to request dinner that they knew would require ingredients that were not presently in their pantries.

Their dads were at work. Sam and Jade at school. Bobby though had been left to babysit both of them so he was outside between the houses busying himself working on a riding lawn mower.

Everyone was sure they were too out of it still to raise any ruckus.

Dean chuckled to himself. Apparently they didn't completely remember what it was like to be young and full of raging hormones and testosterone.

He, at a very young age had learned to bypass just about any alarm system. He had taught Arandi also for the sake of these sneaky times their parents thought they were keeping them from having.

They were in the tree house without a sound.

Dean pushed Arandi up against the wall kissing her breathless. She was still wearing loose comfortable clothing so he had no trouble slipping his hand into her shorts and had his fingers working her as he kept kissing her.

He swallowed every moan and honey dripped way she said his name into his lips as he worked her to a frenzy, holding her in place with his body.

It was so fucking hot and he was about to tear a hole through his warm ups. Especially when she threw her head back when he rubbed just right and pushed her over the edge beautifully.

He was enthralled by the way she looked caught in the moment of bliss panting his name and he wanted nothing more than to be buried balls deep.

Then a car door slammed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When it came to ninjaness Arandi was a star. Dean wasn't exactly a novice but he was just a bit slower because he was after all six foot two and two hundred pounds.

He had barely made it under his covers when his mom walked into his room. He was trying to calm his breath and he was flushed.

His mom took it for a fever and stuffed him full of fever reducer and he wanted to laugh hysterically that it was a fever alright but a much more heated one.

He was very glad when she told him to shower to cool himself. Because it was fifty shades of 'this is so fucking wrong' when his mom was feeling his forehead and he was still diamond hard from what he had done to Arandi.

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour." She said as she left him to it.

He moved fast to the bathroom and under the spray of the water in a blink of an eye, his hand wrapped around himself he thought of every moan and ever sound of his name and imagined doing everything that he had thought he was going to be able to do before they had been so fucking rudely interrupted. That feel of velvet heat crushing him as he moved in and out of her and fuck. He splashed the tile wall like a gun shot. His legs trembled as the orgasm went through him and still he couldn't stop thinking about how much more intense it would have been buried…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He poked at the dinner he had asked for and knew if he didn't eat at least some of it his parents were going to think that he was dying.

Sam was halfway through his third serving and eyeing the dishes to see if maybe he could score a fourth.

A small smirk worked itself onto Dean's face when he thought about how it wouldn't be long before his little brother would be in the same boat of longing and pining away.

There was a knock on the back door and Sam answered it. Jade was there to do homework with him.

She had forgiving him especially when they discovered that Ruby had transferred which begged the question. Why did she need Sam's notes?

"Lucky shit." Dean mumbled and then his face nearly split in half when Arandi stepped in right behind her sister, books in hand.

"Didn't want us to get too behind on school work." She smiled sweetly.

Dean suddenly ravenous cleared his plate in seconds and piled enough for two on his plate as he followed her up the stairs.

John and Mary exchanged knowing glances.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

This was the kind of homework Dean enjoyed. He got rewarded for every correct answer and well he was going to be a genius at this rate.

They couldn't do what they wanted but those heated little kisses and searing touches were just this side of perfection and if that tree house could talk they would be grounded until they were eighty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As it turned out John, Jonathan, and Bobby had to clear up a handful more water wraiths in the lake and had been able to solve, anonymously of course, a string of disappearances that they had been able to trace back to a serial killing truck driver who liked to drown his victims.

The hunters wondered just how many other lakes and water ways were teeming with wraiths thanks to this one sick bastard.

The police now led in the right direction were able to locate most of the bodies.

Everything seemed normal at least as normal as it could get for two hunting families.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean blinked as he stared across the football field. He felt like he and Arandi had just started as freshmen and here they were days away from prom and graduation around the corner.

What the literal hell?

They hadn't talked about getting married lately but they both knew it was inevitable and Dean wondered if he was supposed to propose again. Like he had had to ask her if she would go to prom with him like the entire school didn't already know.

All Dean knew was that they were eighteen now and capable of doing whatever they wanted. Fuck did this mean that they needed to move out on their own? He was really getting tired of having to sneak around to have sex. Now that Sam and Jade used the tree house more often.

He startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder but instantly knew that it was Arandi. She sat on the bleacher above him and he leaned back between her legs.

"We'll get an apartment off campus when we start college in the fall. We can wait until we graduate then to get married." She said taking his hand and placing both over his heart.

He sighed. He would never get tired of her knowing exactly what was eating him. "I know but aren't you tired of not being able to be together be together even though we are now adults. College is still months away and I just want to be with you every night, every moment that our parents take away from us back in our own hands." He pulled her into a kiss.

"I know but think of it like this. Our parents are good right now thinking they have the most obedient kids in the world. We keep this up and once they find out we're going to live together they might have more of an open mind."

"I guess." He huffed. He should have known better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You don't want me to go to college?" Dean stared at his dad as if he'd been possessed. "Christo."

"It's just that Sam's getting older and we don't know when Azazel is going to strike again. So we really need to stick together and keep all eyes on your brother."

"I get protecting Sammy, I really do, dad, but you're asking me to put my life on hold and I have to get my life together I don't want to hunt my entire life. Arandi and I…"

"I'm not asking for Arandi not to go to college, son, only you."

Dean felt an avalanche of emotions crash into him. "You expect me to give up Arandi, college, basically my entire life for Sam?" He loved his little brother, hell more than most brothers tended to love any sibling for that matter but this…..?

"You can still see Arandi on some weekends. I can get you a job at Simon's garage."

See Arandi on some weekends. As if they didn't know he could barely stand to be away from her just overnight.

"What is everyone else giving up?"

John only stared at him as if anything Dean had that mattered was not important.

"I need to think this through." Dean said and walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stared at his phone as it rang yet again. Arandi was trying to get a hold of him. He had told her that his dad wanted to talk to him and then he would pick her up and they would go grab a burger or something.

She could usually read him pretty well even over the phone so he wasn't quite ready to face this deal yet. He could hardly believe that his mom had agreed to it.

Look out for Sammy though right. He should have it tattooed on him somewhere on his body.

His phone finally stopped sounding off. Now she was going to start calling everyone else until she figured out where he was and if he was alright.

He was cramming a lot down and it was eating him up. It was about pleasing everyone but what about him, when would it be his turn?

He pulled the collar of his black leather jacket up and stiffened his stance. He walked into the bar that he had picked a few towns over. He wasn't going to try to drink so he hoped they would turn a blind eye on his youth at least until he got what he needed.

He needed a way to vent and besides running, which he had already done, fighting was the only other thing that would help.

Every bar held its share of jerks that were sure they were god's gift, those that didn't respect boundaries, and of course the bullies.

He wasn't even there ten minutes before he was being called out back.

He focused on the two guys that kept repeating that he needed to learn his lesson and they were going to be the teachers.

It was funny how they were at least fifteen years older than him yet they felt the need to double team him. Maybe the fact that he showed no fear intimidated them somehow or maybe it was his height.

It could have also been that when a third guy hit him twice with everything he had on a blitz attack, Dean only smiled at them with blood tinged teeth and then show them how it was done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

In life Dean would learn that fate would always be a vengeful bitch in stiletto heels.

He had taken a few good hits when one of the fuckers had managed to pin his arms for a minute but the second they had called him pretty boy and made a reference to other things they could do to him. He went full on barbarian on their asses.

He wondered how shocked they were to find out that he had actually been holding back. The small crowd that had gathered to watch urged him to get the hell out of there when the sirens were coming near. Apparently impressed with the fact that he had been able to deal with the cowardly jerks on his own.

He answered his phone as he drove, he hit speaker and laid it on the dash, still wondering how he was supposed to look into Arandi's eyes and break her heart like he vowed that he would never do.

"Yeah." He breathed. He shifted on the seat trying to settle the soreness.

"Dean?" Sam barely whispered.

Dean felt a cold tendril slide down his spine. "Sammy? What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Azazel…." Sam breathed and the line went dead.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	13. HUNTING THINGS SAVING PEOPLE

Warning: Extreme sexual content. Same sex loving. A touch of voyeurism. A pinch of a threesome.

HUNTING THINGS, SAVING PEOPLE

The Impala was like part of his family. To him she was alive and he loved her like she was an extension of himself more so when his dad had passed her to him when he turned sixteen.

Baby was the one object that he came close to worshipping and no one would even come close to guessing that as he busted a tire screeching U-turn to head to Sam.

If in his mind he had asked for a sign he was getting it now. He couldn't leave Sam no matter how much it killed him to be away from Arandi.

'Maybe you won't have to choose after tonight.' A sick thought slid through his brain. He floored the gas pedal flush to the Impala floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

John had made sure that his boy's GPS was always on so that they could always be found as long as they had their phones on them.

Dean was grateful for that even as his heart hammered at what he was about to discover. He had managed a 911 text to his dad. He thought about Arandi but he knew that she would try to come to him and he couldn't risk that right now.

He found himself heading towards the park where they played baseball. He parked leaving the lights on and slowly got out. He felt the reassuring weight of his knife and gun at his waist and checked for his flask of holy water. He didn't bother closing the door as he moved forward.

"Nice of you to join us, Deano." Azazel sneered. He stood in the field. Sam stood wide eyed and unmoving off to his side.

"Sammy?"

"He has Jade." Sam stammered. "I had to, Dean, I had to. I'm sorry."

"Had to what, Sammy?"

The bright field lights snapped on blinding Dean for a moment and then he lost his breath. Arandi laid on the field spread eagle unmoving, her opened eyes locked on nothing he could see.

He started to run towards her and suddenly couldn't move.

Azazel laughed. "See what Sammy can do, Deano, he'll rip your heart out and suck all the blood right out of it because you don't matter to him like he matters to you. Brings a tear to my eye."

Dean looked from Sam to Arandi. He did this? Sam did this to Arandi. "No." He breathed out.

"Yes." Azazel hissed.

Dean's eyes pleaded with Sam and with the lights he saw Sam's blood stained hands and face.

"He made me." Sam whimpered.

"No."

"I had to."

"No."

"Dean!"

"No!"

"DEAN!"

Bright lights caught in Dean's eyes and a loud horn crashed through his head, he turned the wheel sudden and fast to the right. The semi blew past him rocking the Impala as it screeched straight into a ditch and his head slammed hard into the driver side window and then the steering wheel.

He heard wicked laughter and something else he couldn't place then everything slipped away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Dean, can you hear me." A voice slid into his thoughts. He blinked, pain slicing through his head like a sharp sword as a tiny pin prick of light moved back and forth in his vision. "Can you tell me your name?"

"You just said it." He said but it sounded an awful lot like he sounded when he'd had one too many Bud Lights.

A chuckle. "Humor me kiddo. Gotta make sure you're brain isn't slipping out somewhere."

"Dean."

"Last name?"

"Winchester?"

"You asking me?"

Dean focused into very blue eyes. "Wow your eyes are amazing."

"Alright, kiddo, you definitely have head trauma."

"My girlfriend…" Dean tried to explain, only he couldn't remember what he was trying to explain and suddenly Arandi's lifeless eyes flashed in his muddled head. "Arandi?" He struggled to sit up.

"Hey, calm down. What's going on, kiddo?"

"Arandi, my girlfriend." Dean struggled but he was strapped down. "Sam!"

"He might not have been alone." Someone said. "Search the area."

"Please save her."

"Breathe, kiddo, just breathe for me."

Dean stared into the blue eyes willing it to be Arandi and when he had to blink he fell into nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Someone was holding his hand. He knew that touch. He struggled to open his eyes and now he could see into the eyes he had begged for. "I was wrong. " He croaked out. "It's your eyes that are amazing."

Arandi smiled.

"I knew it was too good to be true." A voice said from somewhere.

Dean turned to see the other pair of blue eyes that he'd stared into.

"Just checking on you, kiddo."

Dean could now see that it was a paramedic and he was in ER. He blushed.

"Hey, but we'll always have mile marker 13." The paramedic chuckled and walked away.

"They are keeping you overnight to make sure you're alright." Arandi said calmly as she smoothed the sheets on his bed over and over. Not meeting his eyes. "Your mom is filling out the paperwork and your dad is outside talking to the cops and getting the Impala turned over to him."

Dean knew Arandi better than anyone. "I'm going to be fine." He whispered and squeezed her hand. Praying over and over inside his head that this was real. That this was Arandi very much alive and not…..

Tears slid silently down her face, her eyes finally locking on his for a second. "Don't scare me like that." She leaned her forehead to his.

"Oh crap the Impala?"

"She barely has a scratch on her." Arandi replied a lot more herself. "A trucker called it in said he had nearly went head on with the Impala and said the driver looked as if he had fallen asleep behind the wheel. Thank God you have such a hard skull. What happened, Dean?"

He sighed reaching up to his head because it felt ten times bigger. "Better left for home." He whispered indicating all the nurses and others milling around.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This was in your jacket." John said lifting the purple string with lots of knots in it. "According to Bobby it's one of the simplest and at the same time most effective hexes out there. Works with the state of mind someone is in and fucks you solid without lube."

Dean had recovered from his accident in just a couple of days. Telling everyone what had happened hadn't been easy because he couldn't quite shake the mental image.

He had been afraid to wake up and find the opposite was real.

The way Sam had looked at him. As if it pained him that Dean would ever believe that he could do something so entirely awful to Arandi or anyone else for that matter.

Dean knew that anyone could have slipped the string into his jacket. He had left it lying around that day at school and had taken it off at the bar. He also knew that he had to stay put because someone most, likely Azazel, was trying to convince Dean to leave Sam. He now knew that he had to listen to his dad and protect his little brother at all costs.

Telling Arandi was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done but he didn't have to do that right away now did he?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat up on his bed with a gasp. He was covered in sweat the last tendrils of the nightmare that had gripped him slipped away.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself. He'd been having the same nightmare with some variety almost every night.

He had woken up the entire house a couple of times but mostly it was like this night. Waking up with his heart racing and swearing he could smell the fresh cut grass of the baseball field.

"Again?" Sam startled him.

Dean nodded. His mind for one second grasping onto the image of Sam covered in Arandi's blood and his heart tripped faster. He closed his eyes trying to breathe right and not panic.

He felt the bed dip and then Sam's hand comforting on his back smoothing up and down as he murmured to him. "It's alright, Dean, just a dream. Just a dream."

"This is a dream, Sammy, but what about that night?" He stopped saying it could have been a vision would only imply that Sam was capable of doing such horrible things.

Sam's hand stopped moving. "Dad said that purple string went with the state of mind you were in, so is that what you've been thinking that I'm just going to let Azazel convince me to kill Arandi. Come on, if I had to face that choice and it happened like you saw it, you do realize that I would lose Jade anyway?"

Dean knew Sam was right. Jade and her parents would never see Sam the same if he harmed Arandi to save Jade. He knew that his brainiac brother would figure out how to save them both. He knew that as sure as he knew his own name.

So why couldn't he shake the feeling of impending doom?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean pushed Arandi up against the lockers of the weight room. The coach had entrusted Dean with a key so that he could work out whenever he needed.

They had workout equipment at home but Dean every now and then preferred the school weight room because his dad never failed to distract him from his workout with things Dean already knew.

Two hours had flown by in a flash and both he and Arandi were sweaty and energized from the exercise.

Now he wanted a bit more exercise that involved nakedness and lots of heavy breathing. They kissed hungrily.

The barely audible sound of someone breathing made them both go into full alert. They both kept kissing so whoever it was would think they hadn't been heard.

Dean leaned into kiss Arandi's neck and up to her ear. He whispered what he wanted to do and then they acted as if they were going to go to the next level in the showers.

Dean turned the water on and waited on one side of the entrance while Arandi waited on the other. They made sounds as if they were really getting into it.

It was a whole five minutes before they saw a shadow move and they realized whoever it was wasn't alone.

It was going to have to be hand to hand because all the weapons were in the car.

Their hearts were racing. Their lives in danger yet again. Was it vamps, weres of whatever species since there was a fool moon, what? What the hell was out for them now?

Dean saw the phone come over the top of the shower room wall slowly. He heard the stifled giggles. Never had he been more relieved to know that they were contending with horny teens rather than monsters.

Still though they were getting their asses kicked because no one but him would ever see Arandi like that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pauley, Jeff, and Miller sat in a row on the floor. Their knees drawn up to their chest.

Dean loomed over them looking more menacing than Pauley could have ever believed. When the hell did he get past six feet?

Arandi leaned back against a wall one leg up and her arms crossed, her face unreadable, her eyes the darkest blue Pauley could ever remember seeing them and he looked into them every chance he got.

Dean had to know that he wasn't the only one in love with Arandi Remington, he was just the only lucky son of a bitch that got to touch her and everything else. The only one that she loved back.

They just wanted to get one glimpse of that glorious body once before they all went their separate ways. Not just the legs that went all the way up and…fuck.

Dean had let it slip that they would be working out at night and that meant naked in the shower.

So things hadn't quite worked out like they planned. They had gotten to see some hot and heavy kissing. Dean lifting Arandi up against the lockers as if she weighed nothing. They had gotten a flash of a side boob before they had gone into the shower.

Pauley had really thought that he and the others were being so quiet. Maybe it was their raging hard ons that had given them away. They had totally been busted by an enraged Dean.

They all had black eyes and sore ribs when Dean pummeled them but he had quit fast once he saw that they weren't fighting back. Why would they? None of them were suicidal.

Although it could be said that trying to see Arandi naked with Dean around was not exactly choosing life.

They didn't argue or try to lie. Dean had listened with a raised eyebrow. His face red with anger but he wasn't hitting them anymore. Could have been because Arandi was soothing her hand up and down his naked back.

Pauley stared at the firm six pack his friend had and beside him Miller whimpered quietly. His jeans tented obscenely. Pauley could feel his face heating up.

Ok so maybe not all three of them were there to see Arandi naked.

Dean had the keenest hearing because he looked at Miller and grunted. He turned his back to them looking around for his shirt.

Apparently Miller really had a kink for backs. Well Dean's back anyway. The way it curved sensually and the way it flexed when he moved and…oh dear God Pauley was gay for Dean too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had gotten this knowing look in those incredible blue eyes and she had smirked. The dark blue quickly fading to icier shade.

She whispered something to Dean and he turned to look at the guys still lined up the floor all them with tented jeans. He looked back at her and shuddered.

"Let's go home. We'll shower there." She said out loud. Dean finally found his shirt but before he could slip it on Arandi ran her fingers lightly over his abs.

His lips parted and his tongue darted out to wet his lips, his eyes going dark instantly.

The hottest fucking thing Pauley had ever seen and he was sure the others agreed by the sounds they were making.

Arandi slowly backed him up until he was up against the wall. "Arandi?" He breathed in way that the trio would fantasize for years to come.

She said his name in such a sinfully whiskey smooth way. They began to kiss as hotly as they had been before they were interrupted. Dean's hands moving to grip firm hot ass. Arandi unbuttoned his jeans and began to pull down the zipper.

Was this really happening? Were they going to get way more than they had bargained for?

Dean pulled back breathing hard. "You wish." He growled as if he had read their overheated brains.

Arandi pulled back naughty smirk on her face.

Dean strolled over to the trio his own jeans straining obscenely and glory be he put them all to shame even trapped as it was. He squatted down in front of them.

"I'm going home with my baby and I'm going to have a fanfucktastic time. You three can either go home and take a long cold shower, a warm one and make your right hand your best friend, or you can pull that gay flag out of the closet where you all have been hiding it and wave it with pride. I don't judge."

Dean stood up shifting his legs trying to adjust himself without actually touching himself.

The three jumped to their feet their minds blown. They had been friends forever and now like this they finally realized why things were so off since they found out what their dicks were for. At least two of them were gay or bisexual because Arandi was hot.

"Miller? Jeff? Pauley?" Dean said in way that made Miller's knees nearly buckle. "Live your life and don't ever, ever pull shit like this again or you won't have one." With that he took Arandi's hand and pulled her out the door.

"You lock up behind you and everything better be the way it's supposed to be. I know where you all live." Dean called out from outside.

The three friends looked at one another.

The roar of the Impala was barely heard over the moans and dropping names of the threesome as they experimented on one another.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean paced at the bottom of the stairs of the Remington home while both set of parents videoed everything.

"Surprised you didn't video my shower." Dean grumbled.

"Who says I didn't?" John replied with a wicked grin.

Dean about to retort nearly swallowed his tongue when he caught sight of Arandi at the top of the stairs.

"Holy mother….." He breathed. She looked like an angel in the sparkling white dress that showed off her incredible legs straight into the matching heels, her hair up in curls and ribbons. Were their parents about to video him sprouting wood because he would have to be dead to not react to that?

Especially since she had slammed the brakes on any and all sexually activity until tonight since the night in the weight room.

Thankfully everyone was too busy focused on her for the moment and he squirmed thankful he had gone with the looser fitting tux.

Arandi smiled because Dean in that tux was like glowing demi-god.

He pulled her into a kiss as soon as she reached him until one dad cleared his throat or maybe it was both of them. Concentration wasn't exactly factoring.

"You said yes to that dress?" Jonathan whispered to Beth. Seeing the way the dress clung to curves and showed off her strong back.

"You forget your little girl is an adult now." Beth huffed. "Not much I could do about it." She winked at Arandi because she had loved the dress as much as her daughter.

Dean slipped on the corsage and she pinned the boutonniere. Not taking their eyes off each other and all the promises that night held.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had plenty of friends but tonight, the way she looked. Dean was pretty sure even the best of them were ready to scratch her eyes out. He dared them to try.

Arandi loved the way the girls eyed Dean because he looked absolutely smoking in the tux but he never took his eyes off of her. Still there was something in those incredible emerald eyes that held just a bit of sadness and she was afraid to ask.

She wouldn't, not this night.

They danced every dance. Sneaking kisses when they could. They were actually surprised to be crowned King and Queen.

Not too surprised to see Pauley and Miller sneaking touches and pecks and Jeff with his new girlfriend. It turned out he was the bisexual and his friends well it wasn't complicated anymore.

Dean and Arandi danced some more then slipped away before it ended.

They had only so much will power.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

One town over Dean had booked a room under an assumed name weeks before in a nice hotel.

There was champagne and food waiting for them as Dean carried her into the room. The young man at the front desk had slipped Dean the key card as Dean slipped him a couple of hundred dollars for supplying the alcohol.

'Do not disturb' sign in place. All the protection they would need to relax done, Dean poured them each a glass of the bubbly and they sipped slowly moving to slow music playing in the background.

He kissed her neck putting his glass aside, he undid her dress until it pooled at her feet. He was rock hard in a breath because he hadn't even imagined the silk she was wearing underneath. A young blood like Dean having to wait longer than two days was a cruel form of torture.

She pulled his bow tie loose with her teeth as he ran his fingers lightly over all the deliciously exposed skin.

He pulled the ribbons from her hair and it fell over her shoulders making him shudder all over. So it was one of his many kinks, sue him. He kissed the hollow of her neck as she opened it up to him and she sighed.

With her satin under clothes and heels still on he pushed her onto the bed and she giggle as she bounced. He grabbed the bottle of champagne and got over her, he poured champagne over her and she trembled with the chill of it and then with the way his tongue followed heating the chill away.

Soon she was wet in more ways than one. He slowly slipped off her barely there satin lace panties with his teeth. She shook at the intensity of his look. He spread her open and poured more champagne onto her.

The swirl of his tongue and the barest of nibbles and she was arching off the bed crying out his name. She had never reached climax so fast and so body rackingly hard from such a simple thing

Demi-god her ass. Sex god, yes please.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She rode him slow and deliberately knowing she was torturing him but Dean horny and needy was a sight to behold and on her part she could never get enough.

The way his eyes darkened and sparkled, the way he looked at her as if she was his whole reason for living, the way he touched her, each slide of skin a scorching brand on her. His moans sweet music. Oh and when he begged…she could get off on that alone.

She brought him to the edge and stopped. She kissed him, tongue clashing with his, his fingers dug into her hips seeking the friction he needed.

She looked into his eyes. "Not yet." She whispered.

A sound like tortured bliss moved from his lips but he stilled. She curved and twisted slowly, his eyes rolled, fingers digging painfully, a delicious pain she couldn't help but crave.

She moved until only his tip was there hot and throbbing with need for the release she was slowly torturing out of him.

Perfect roll of hips and he slid in with the mind numbing friction. The grip tightened, his head swiveled side to side as if he was seizing, her name yanked from his throat in broken ecstasy. He arched off the bed, the release ripped from his overheated body. He could see nothing, hear nothing but he felt her all around him as he filled her and every nerve in his body down to his soul ignited with the climax that took him over. Lava inside and out.

"Arandi, Arandi, Arandi." It was the only thing he knew.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He woke to quiet, the hotel room lit up by only the nightlight from the bathroom. All he could remember was the mind blowing orgasm and then nothing.

He looked to his side where heat seeped into him and Arandi was curled beside him, a smile on her lips even in sleep and his heart skipped.

He couldn't remember if she had joined him in his small death. It bothered him to think that he could so easily fall asleep without making sure that she was as satisfied as he had been.

He turned over, gently tucking a fly away hair behind her ear. She sighed and moved closer. Just that touch and his cock pushed hot, thick, and heavy, ready for more.

He rubbed against her hip and noticed the bruises shaped like fingers and leaned in the softest of kisses and when he looked up her eyes blazed into his.

"I'm sorry." He said of the bruises.

"Don't be." She smiled softly. "The let me feel you like fire, even when you're not by my side. I need to feel you, my love." She hummed.

She spread her legs, ran her fingers over her glistening nub. His cock throbbed painfully.

His breath hurt in his chest. He just needed to hear her say the words.

They fell over him like a crash of ocean waves. "Fuck me like you mean it, baby." She purred in sinful decadence.

It was all the invitation he needed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The brutal thrusts brought delicious moans and his name like sin from her lips. He couldn't stop if his life depended it on it.

Her heels dug into the back of his thighs urging him for more, deeper, harder, and fuck. If this was the way he died, they would never get the smile off his face.

"Is that all you got." She taunted as she bit him hard on the neck. It was going to bruise but the thrill it sent through him made him nuzzle in for more and his thrusts shoved her across the bed, her mouth fell open on a moan that made him even harder.

So this was what they meant by fucking someone into a mattress?

Sign him up for full membership. Platinum package please.

Her nails sliced into his back the pain so delicious it made him growl shove in so hard she gasped. For just a moment he thought he had hurt her.

"Like that, oh yeah, again just like that." She begged, her throat fucked out for all the moans and near screams of pleasure he pushed out of her. Who was he to deny her that?

He pushed her up against the headboard nearly bending her in half, he set one hand onto her shoulder to hold her and grabbed the headboard with the other. He moved his body to position where he could piston in and out of her like a man on fire.

Her hands clawed at the sheets, his back, anything she could reach, his name falling with every move like a plea and hers fell from him. Sweat dripped as he pumped like stopping would be his death.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh and the bed protesting against the onslaught took second to their passion. She was going to feel him for a lot longer than tomorrow.

Time stood still, the bliss filling into their veins like a slow leak and it was so much, so good. Could it possibly get any better?

Dean didn't know, all that mattered was hearing her fall apart and filling her with his own release as many times as he could manage.

When he knew she was about to go over he lifted his head. "Look at me." He breathed and her lust filled eyes locked on his. Twist and thrust and she was gone. Her eyes rolled, his name on a breath and she arched and keened. Her body seized, his cock trapped in the heat of her velvet release and he shoved in every bit as far as he could go and the tsunami hit him.

He cried out her name, his hips twitching hard and their lips crashed together brutally. Their breath coming in hot pants. Bliss so complete they shared maybe a brain cell between them as every part of them of them caught in electric spurts, the orgasm rolling through every fiber of their being.

It went on and on, the aftershocks stealing more moans, more hisses of pleasure until they collapsed in exhaustion and fucked out bliss.

Dean fought to keep his eyes open. He tried to roll off of her but she was already out and he followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They sat across from each other, eating breakfast. They were not supposed to stay out all night but they were adults so their parents were going to be pissed, oh well.

They had made sure to bring extra clothes with them and as they changed Dean noticed how uncomfortable Arandi seemed. Part of him wanted to strut about it but the other part wanted to make sure she was ok.

He had stared at her with guilt when he saw all the bruising on her body but she told him to look in the mirror.

Whoa, they weren't going swimming for a while. Thank goodness Arandi didn't have to wear her cheerleader uniform anymore because they were going to think he was beating her.

As they left the guy at the desk winked at Dean apparently the house keepers had mentioned the disarray of the bed.

Dean couldn't help but smile. Some things didn't change when it came to a man's ego.

The parents called when they were half way home and they didn't seem so mad after all just worried.

Then Arandi told him to pull over. He'd been around her his entire life so he knew. Somehow she knew.

He pulled off onto a backroad and parked the Impala off behind a huge tree. She was out of the car before he even turned her off.

He followed. She paced and he leaned back against the trunk.

"I didn't know how to tell you." He finally said.

"If you don't go then I'm not going either."

"Arandi, your parents….."

"Can get over it….." She growled.

He was beyond proud that she would chose him but it didn't feel right to ask her to cut her own dreams short. After all he hadn't chosen her had he? Guilt trips were a vacation he took often recently.

"Do you honestly think anything would matter without you there?" She whispered and caressed his face.

He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, guilt racked up a knot. He pulled her close, her head on his chest, his arms tight around her.

"Of course if you want me to leave so that you can have quality time with Annie….." She poked.

"After you saved her life I think she's more in love with you than me." He chuckled.

"I did get the feeling that she wanted to ask me to dance last night."

They stayed like they were for a few minutes more.

"We can't avoid them forever." Dean ushered.

"I've killed Wendigos, vampires, and things that most people can't even fathom and you think my parents scare me?"

"Hey, your mom when she's pissed, could make a vamp take a machete to its own head."

"You know what they say about mothers and daughters."

"You know when I proposed I really didn't know what it meant I was so young."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	14. A HUNTING WE SHALL GO

A HUNTING WE SHALL GO

It was nowhere near the blow out Dean had expected. He should have realized though once his mom told Beth what was going on that they were going to put two and two together.

Beth knew anything said to the contrary was going to be a waste of breath. More shocking was Jonathan's instant agreement to Arandi's decision.

He explained later that Arandi being at college with Dean was one thing. Her being on her own well trained or not, he'd never sleep again. They had plenty of time to get college done.

Dean's description of what had happened the night of the accident had set Jonathan's teeth on edge and he couldn't help but tend to stray a bit closer whenever Sam was around Jade.

Sam was still young but he was far from naïve. He spoke his mind politely but the minor lack of trust nagged him. He could never hurt the people he loved.

Jonathan couldn't even imagine the number of people sitting on death row who had said those very words.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Graduation went without a hitch. Both families celebrated together like they did just about everything else. They didn't even know why they bothered thinking of themselves as two families when they had been anything but for years.

Johnny came home on leave from overseas. He had made the choice to be career military Marine. He still hunted when something blew his way but he figured having real credentials under his belt wouldn't hurt.

Jonathan and Beth had been a mixture of proud and terrified when Johnny broke the news of what he planned for himself. They had promised themselves to make sure that their kids led as normal a life as possible but with all the things out there it was hard to let them go far from home.

Johnny was a deadly weapon before he became a Marine so he could take very good care of himself. The worrying didn't stop though. Monsters existed everywhere. There were no such thing as a safe zone unless a place was warded to high heaven and that couldn't exactly be done casually.

Johnny sat down with both sets of parents and told them that if they didn't want the younger clan to run off to all corners of the world they had better start opening their minds to what it would take to keep them close.

He travelled the world and it was beautiful and downright hell on earth in some places. There were things out there that had even shocked him and that was saying a lot.

He loved his little sisters way too much to want them on their own out there even though it wounded his pride to admit Arandi was probably a couple of lines crossed deadlier than him. Jade was a bit more mellow but she could do her own damage if pushed past the edge.

Arandi probably didn't realize it yet but he had sensed it in her the moment she had started training. She was a natural. A natural born huntress.

Walking away from his parents had been tough, leaving behind Arandi and Jade still ached when he was alone somewhere. Somehow knowing what was really out there tended to make a person love their family more than normal. He kept in touch as much as he could and sent tons of souvenirs.

Still when he walked in the front door of his house and saw Arandi and Jade come running down the stairs to greet him, he lost his breath at how much they had grown and the stunning beauties they had become. The pictures they sent him hardly did them justice.

He suddenly wanted to stay home for good. Then he saw Dean and Sam how they had grown and were both taller than their forever brother in law. The nickname Dean had given him when he was eight.

There was not even an inkling of doubt that Dean loved Arandi and that she loved him. Johnny had wondered if that would change as they got older and it had but only because it had grown stronger, more intense, damn fucking unbreakable. Sam and Jade were there too but to Johnny the intensity wasn't quite the same.

He envied the fact that they already had their lives planned with each other. He had dated but once things started to get serious how was he supposed to take that step to telling a person why he had salt lines laid out or why he kept a very sharp machete in every room not to mention the sigils.

Arandi would never be an hundred percent safe because of the hunter's life but Johnny knew Dean would die before letting anything happen to her and that in itself was a hell of a comfort. What it would do to Arandi wasn't.

So it was mostly Johnny's prompting that led the parents to giving Dean and Arandi a surprise they would have never expected from their parents.

While they had been busy preparing for their graduation their parents had been as sneaky as possible. Figuring letting their now adult kids have a little more freedom and not act like prudes might earn them more time with them.

"I know it's not your idea of ideal and that you were probably dying to get out on your own." Mary gushed. "We just thought for now that it would be safer if you were still close to home. We can't kid ourselves anymore that you two are…..well you know."

Dean smirked. Arandi blushed.

Up over the Winchester's three car garage, there had been a storage area of sorts that connected with the attic of the house. Somehow their parents had converted it into a fully functioning two bedroom apartment. Completely furnished with all the frills.

"All you have to do is move your clothes up here." Beth pointed out. "We would have done that too but we figured we might have a couple of strokes digging through your closet and drawers. Gives you a chance to sort and decide what you want to keep and your rooms will still be your rooms."

Dean had to suppress a chuckle thinking about how his mom might react to finding Arandi's lacy panties mixed in with his boxers. Would she know they belonged to her or would she wonder if her son had a kink?

"We fully stocked your fridge and pantry but you can eat with us of course. Keep the family dinners and cookouts going we just know Dean eats morning noon and night." Mary chuckled.

"I'm still a growing boy." Dean grinned.

"Sideways." John snorted.

"You paved that road, dad." Dean retorted as he patted his dad's belly.

"This is amazing." Arandi murmured about to walk in, she squealed as Dean lifted her into his arms.

"It may not be official yet but this still feels right." He said as he walked through the door.

He set Arandi down and kissed her. Then he turned to Jonathan. "I know this isn't easy for you, sir, but I hope that you know how much I love your daughter and I will always take care of her to the best of my abilities."

Jonathan nodded, took Dean's proffered hand. "It's the only reason I agreed to this. No one is better suited for my princess besides Beth made me."

Everyone laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi headed to the lake to party one last time with their friends before everyone headed for new lives.

No one dared go near the water even though it had been cleaned up and cleared.

Annie more than a bit tipsy cried and thanked Dean and Arandi for making sure she lived long enough to graduate. She kissed them both sloppily on the cheek.

She also gave them full credit for getting her and Scott together as boyfriend and girlfriend. Which didn't make sense since he had tried to save her all on his own before they even arrived but whatever.

Pauly nowhere near drunk followed suit with the cheek kissing. Hell it was the closest he would ever get to anything with Dean. He wanted to kick himself and Miller probably did to for not realizing things sooner and having had more time to 'be around' Dean.

He didn't mind the death glare that was directed at him from both parties when he pulled back from his little affection. So it wasn't heart eyes, he had a vivid imagination he could deal.

Soon it grew quiet and the bunch of them sat staring into the fire. They had all been dying to grow up and move on with their lives. Now it just felt beyond sad to be saying goodbye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Shhh." Dean hissed as he tried to maneuver Arandi up the stairs to their new apartment. He still couldn't believe that he could now sleep next to his lady love without being a ninja about it.

She had had just a bit too much to drink when someone had produced Jello shots. Dean was buzzing but he still knew what he was doing. Sort of. He had had enough sense to ask someone else to drive them home and that was a true sign of drunkenness that Dean allowed anyone else not family behind the wheel of his second beloved.

The someone else had ended up being Pauly because he had preferred sitting by the fire smooshing with Miller and mooning at Dean rather than filling his gut with alcohol of all types.

Not to mention that if he got home with the smell of alcohol on him his cop dad would flip a wig. He had already dumped being gay on his dad. Who had taken it rather well but Pauly wasn't going to push it by any means. He liked the fact also that since he was the most sober Dean had let go a bit and kissed Pauly on the mouth to thank him for getting them home. Quick but still hot enough to make Pauly glad that he had Miller coming to pick him up. Miller was so getting laid. He wouldn't mention ever in his lifetime that it was because of Dean.

"He kisses great doesn't he?" Arandi had hiccupped. Which Pauly was grateful for also since he had seen her make girls piss on themselves just for looking too long at her man.

She had then proceeded to maul Dean in front of him and watching Dean sprout wood in his jeans at her ministrations had left Pauly very uncomfortable in his own. The sounds Dean made didn't help the cause either. Miller wasn't going to know what hit him.

Pauly was in the car so fast and waved back to Dean and Arandi as they pulled apart long enough to see him off. He knew a close by backroad that he had to get Miller to quickly.

"Bet you won't be shushing me in a minute." Arandi giggled nearly tripping on the first step.

"Oh yeah why's that?"

"You like it when I'm nosy….noisy, yeah that's it, in bed." She kissed him hot and heavy.

Dean sighed. He had really been into it but seeing the apartment above made him think twice. He willed away his erection. "I do, I so do." He moaned pushing her back reluctantly. "But I want our first time in our own place to be special. Memorable."

"You're saying no to sex? Now I know I'm drunk."

"Come on slush. We'll sleep it off in the tree house, then have our real first night tomorrow." Although he had no idea how he was getting her up there without breaking both their necks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He sat up too fast when the sounds of Arandi retching jolted him out of sleep. His own stomach lurched.

He had thankfully prepared for that, sneaking into the house to get bottled water and ibuprofen in preparation for the inevitable repercussions of the shots.

"Shoot me." She groaned.

"Haven't had enough shots?"

"Shut up. What kind of boyfriend let's this happen?"

"The kind of boyfriend that likes his nuts where they are." He said as he pulled some wipes to help her clean up. "Take these and drink the water slow."

She followed his instructions then curled up and was out. Dean yawned and was about to cozy up next to her when the loud crack of a twig being snapped brought him to full alertness.

He looked at his watch. It was past four in the morning. He slowly made his way to one of the windows of the tree house. At first he saw nothing but then a shadow moved across the lawn.

Who would be out there at four in the morning and how had they managed to avoid the motion sensor lights? He stayed awake until the sun started to come up and could see the entire sight of both yards. He didn't dare leave Arandi alone to go check. Separation was never a good idea.

Not even a whole day into their post high school lives and the hunt was on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned back on their new couch flipping through the channels of their sixty inch TV. Their parents hadn't skimped.

Arandi was busy in the kitchen preparing their first meal and Dean knew that she could cook and would have to work out extra hard. She made the most amazing homemade pies.

Everyone seemed to know that they wanted this day to themselves to get themselves situated.

They had both spent the morning bringing what they needed from their rooms. Dean had turned the brightness of a tomato when he suddenly remembered kissing Pauly and Arandi had laughed so hard she had to sit on the floor.

"You're not jealous?" He griped.

"Of course I'm jealous but you made his night and probably Miller's. Just if you ever do it again…"

Dean smiled then and helped her stand. "Now that's the Arandi I know and love." He kissed her and pushed her into his closet for a quickie.

He had done the rounds to try to figure out who had been in their yard that night and he knew for certain that it hadn't been any of them.

"Nothing with bad intentions can get past our wards." John had said.

"Who else besides Azazel would be trying?" Dean had asked. "It couldn't have been him because he can poof wherever he wants."

"Unfortunately, son, we have more than one enemy."

As if Dean really needed that reminder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Their first meal in their own place together, a couple of movies under their belt and still sluggish from the night before, they fell into bed early for their standards.

Their mothers had done an excellent job at choosing a mattress that felt heavenly. Thousand thread sheets and the softest, thickest, most comfortable comforter ever was going to make getting up in the mornings a little harder to do especially after a couple of hours of delectable love making to break in their new bed and their new place.

It was nice to be next to each other without worrying about what time to get a move on before they got caught. It was nice to just know that they would be waking up next to each other. It was super nice to know that they could just turn over and enjoy themselves sexually anytime the urge hit them without rushing around trying to find a place to not be interrupted.

They didn't have to be quiet or rush through anything. They could sleep wrapped around each other completely in the buff. The list could go on and on.

Their parents could be awesome when they wanted to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Johnny headed back to his duties after long talks with his sisters and forever brothers in law. He took a million pictures.

Soon Dean was working at Simon's Garage and Arandi by all providence was working right across the street at the public library.

They could take their lunch break together and head home together at the end of the day.

Hector Dench quickly fell in love with Dean's mechanical talents and paid him accordingly even at the bemoaning of his other mechanics who had been there for years. He didn't care because cars that had been deemed unfixable were purring at Dean's more than capable hands.

"Why is it called Simon's if your name is Hector?" Dean asked.

Hector laughed and shook his head and never answered.

Friday rolled around and Dean was counting what he had made in tips waiting for Arandi to come out of the library. People tipped him well because he was fast and well he worked his charm which tended to usually work on just about anyone.

He wanted to take Arandi out to dinner and maybe a movie if she was up to it. Neither of them had to work the weekend.

Arandi though had other ideas. She rushed across the street papers in hand.

Dean bit his lip as he watched her come towards him in her skirt and blouse with heels, her hair up and he now had a kink for Librarian Arandi.

Dean said goodbye to his coworkers and he and Arandi headed to the side of the building where the Impala was parked.

"I found us a case." She said excitedly as soon as they were in the car.

"A case?" Dean asked.

"Well yeah, I mean just because we're not going to college and have full time jobs, we still have to hunt. We live together now so we should hunt together too. We have to stay sharp."

Dean hadn't even thought of anything like that. He had figured that he'd hunt with his dad and Sam to stay sharp whenever needed. He still kept up his gun cleaning and working out, his marksmanship and sparring with his brother. Hunting with his girlfriend? That was different.

"Dean?"

"What? Um sorry I just never thought about it." Dean shrugged. "We've done everything together but this. Well not on purpose anyway."

"You're not saying no though right?"

"We won't know anything unless we give it a shot." If Arandi was going to hunt he sure as hell was going to be right by her side.

Arandi's smile made it worthwhile.

"So what ya got?"

"This house people keep renting but something keeps scaring them off the next town over. I'm thinking angry spirit. Working in a library is awesome because I already did all the research. Jonah Bradford apparently fell down the stairs and broke his neck after an argument with his wife who he thought was cheating on him. Seems he's hanging onto this world because he's still pissed at his wife. Who by the way was as faithful as you can get. All she was doing was taking secret cooking lessons so that she could surprise him on their anniversary."

"Bummer, dying for nothing. So I assume that you know where he's buried."

"Oakville Cemetery."

"Salt and burn tonight?"

"Sounds like a plan."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi didn't say a word to anyone about their hunt. They wanted to test the waters and then go from there.

They went out for dinner and then a movie. Soon after midnight they headed to the cemetery about thirty miles up the road.

They walked through with the stuff they would need. They shoveled the grave together.

Dean wasn't too thrilled on Arandi doing that kind of work but she was his partner in this and he knew if he said anything remotely implying that she shouldn't be doing this type of work, it would probably earn him a couple of nights on the couch or worse, the treehouse with his nuts iced down.

Her sweating and dirt smeared face was hot though and the way she smiled at him he was sure that she felt the same.

They reached the coffin and broke through the top. Dean started pouring the salt while Arandi did the fuel.

They jumped out of the grave to set it on fire. He reached for the matches and suddenly the wind stirred up. A loud gasp from Arandi and she was flying through the air, hitting a tree hard and falling to the ground motionless.

Dean hesitated a moment too long and he was up in the air hitting a tombstone solidly. He was seeing stars and on the verge of passing out. The spirit was suddenly in front of him reaching into him and Dean couldn't breathe.

His heart felt as if it was being squeezed in a vice.

His shotgun was still by the grave. If his dad ever said the words 'simple salt and burn' to him again he was going to smack his old man, that was if he survived this.

A loud whoosh and flames burned bright. The spirit held on a few seconds longer before it screeched and lit up into bright sparks.

Dean fell back breathing hard as the grip loosened.

Arandi was on her knees by the blazing grave.

They looked at each other and began to laugh hysterically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had gone nowhere near smoothly but they had pulled it off. They had leaned heavily on each other heading back to the car and Dean was sure he shouldn't be driving. He took it slow though and they made it home in one piece.

They stumbled up stairs side by side and stripped out their dirty sweaty clothes before slipping into the shower together and cleaning up.

The bruises were already in full bloom all over both of them and Dean had a goose egg on the back of his head. Nothing he hadn't encountered before but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

He sure as hell didn't like seeing Arandi hurt. This hunting thing was going to takes its toll on him. She felt the same but together was together.

They both wondered often how they would be if their lives had been normal.

Cleaned up they managed to make it to the bed where they both tumbled exhaustedly, still naked and were gone in seconds.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beat to hell or not, waking up to naked Arandi was easily the best distraction.

Kissing her all over was the best way to get her alert and soon they were rocking the bed slow and easy, too sore for any gusto but it was just as good.

They joined their families for lunch on the patio still tired but they didn't need for anyone to get too nosy.

They tended to forget that they had learned from the best.

"Salt and burn, just the two of you." Mary brought up casually.

Dean and Arandi exchanged glances.

"It never takes more than two people." Dean countered.

"You just decided not telling anyone was a good idea?" Jonathan added.

"We were just trying it out." Arandi said. "How did you find out?"

"By the looks of it you got your asses kicked." Jade snickered. Arandi getting her answer. She'd never leave research lying around on the bar again.

"We got the job done." Dean replied. "We've been training since we were barely able to stand. Us hunting was the point of that right?"

"We did it so that you know how to stay safe." Mary interjected. "It was never our intention for you to give up your lives for the hunt."

"As opposed to giving up our lives to be bodyguards?" Dean snapped, regretting the words the second they left his mouth. He saw the hurtful look pass over Sam's face. "I will do whatever it is I have to do to protect my family, my little brother, but don't ask me to sit on my thumbs when I can….when we can be saving others."

"It's just, Dean, you're the shoot first ask questions later type of hunter." Jonathan coughed.

"That's what this is about, that you think, that I won't have Arandi's back. You were all ready to send us off to college together but that was it, no hunting unless we have permission?" Dean stood up from where he sat. "With all due respect, sir, if anyone has and will ever have Arandi's back it is me."

Arandi stood up beside him. "Same goes here."

"Just don't go off halfcocked." John muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

So it became routine. They worked five days a week and Arandi did research for cases. Some they did just the two of them, some they brought in whoever they needed.

If it got too far out of their zone they passed it off to other hunters.

It wasn't long before Sam and Jade were joining them occasionally so that they could stay sharp and get the gist of hunting as a team. While the parents worried, they still were able to breathe a little easier with the extra eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just a regular weekend with no hunt had Dean and Arandi spending their Saturday with shooting practice and sparring with one another.

They usually sparred with their younger siblings but they were off with friends for the day.

"Dean, stop holding back." Arandi huffed.

"I can't help it." He grouched. When he sparred with Sam they went all out, when he sparred with his dad that was even worse, no holds barred. He had to remember that Arandi was a female. Toughest female he had ever met beside his mom and hers but that didn't mean he was going to punch her in the face.

"One of these days you might have to go up against a monster that looks like me. You gonna go all sissified on it too." She taunted.

Dean growled and dove sweeping her legs out from under her. She fell straight to her back with a loud oomph. Without missing a beat she flipped them over and back on her feet with a wide smile. Dean right behind her.

They circled each other and Dean grinned maybe this could be fun after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is what I didn't want to happen." Dean growled as he lifted Arandi into his arms. Blood ran freely down her face from a small gash above her left eyebrow.

"It's not your fault." Arandi insisted even as she sputtered blood out of her mouth. All from a wild swing of Dean's elbow. "You think the monsters are going to hold back on me? This is what training is all about. Why are you carrying me as if I'm mortally wounded?"

"Just shut up." He gritted through his teeth as he went up the stairs. He now had a vivid picture in his head of some monster back handing Arandi with everything it had. Another image mixed in of himself getting his ass kicked or even killed for holding back against the wrong enemy because it looked like Arandi.

This was what their parents had been trying to get to the other day but just hadn't come out and said it.

A pain sliced through his head and he set Arandi down right outside their door.

"Dean, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly. Dean had paled drastically.

The mental image grew intensely more vivid. They were hunting something truly evil, Arandi was on one side of him and Sam on the other. He was tearing himself in two trying to protect them both. Arandi fell first, dead at his feet and Sam followed. His vision panned out and everyone that he cared about lay dead around him.

He gasped and fell to his knees grabbing his head. Far off he could hear Arandi calling out for help. He felt strong hands a moment later. His dad and mom's voices calling to him.

All he could focus on was the carnage around him and the laughter that mocked him because he had failed them all and was cursed to live with it forever.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	15. OUT OF REACH

OUT OF REACH

He felt as if he was weighed down by so much weight. He was almost certain an entire building had crashed down on top of him. He slowly opened his eyes and all he found was that he was in his own bed covered with a comforter.

"He's waking up." He heard Arandi say in a tone of total relief. Everyone came into his field of vision looking at him like he might shatter any second.

Arandi sat beside him and helped him drink some water. Just her touch soothed him greatly.

"What happened?" He croaked. A persistent ache in the middle of his head make him cringe and swallow compulsively to keep the water down.

"You tell us." John said looking worriedly at Dean with his arms crossed. "We didn't find a string this time or anything else."

"I think I had a vision. I don't remember much but that's Sam letting me in on his, isn't it?" Dean winced as Arandi helped him sit back against the headboard. What had at the time been entirely vivid he could now barely grasp.

"I haven't had a vision for a couple of months now. I didn't send anything to you." Sam replied as he paced and wrung his hands. Dean just needed to stop scaring the hell out of everyone already.

"Does your head feel like it's being split like a coconut when you have one?" And that was actually putting it mildly.

Sam nodded. "But I don't pass out from them." 'Or look a breath away from dying.' He thought.

"We had just been sparring, maybe that had something to do with it." Arandi offered. Her tone guilty because she had pushed Dean so hard. She just wanted him to be prepared for anything. Here she was not prepared for anything like this.

"Maybe but still something isn't adding up." Mary huffed. She paced the opposite of Sam. Beth also because Dean was practically her son too and seeing her daughter so worried did nothing to calm her.

"Are you ok?" Dean asked Arandi taking her hand. Someone had already tended to her cut. He knew she had to be completely freaked. He sure as hell didn't remember being carried into the room.

She smiled weakly, her eyes bright. "I am now." She meant it. The whole time Dean had been out she had to remind herself to breathe. She was so glad she hadn't been alone.

"Alright, it's been a long day. We will all double check sigils again and then get some rest. You shouldn't push yourself the rest of today or tomorrow." John ordered.

That was one order Dean wouldn't roll his eyes at.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had made him some soup and grilled cheese and then he had fallen into a deep sleep. He felt so drained like someone who hadn't slept in days.

When he woke up again Arandi was curled up beside him and it was after three in the morning. He moved slowly off the bed really needing to relieve his bladder. That done he yawned and headed back to the bed he was sure that he would have no trouble falling asleep again.

The softest shuffle made him still where he stood. He tried to place the sound but his mind still felt muddled. He felt as if he hadn't slept at all.

The hair on his neck stood up and his entire body was awash with goosebumps.

"Who's there?" He ventured. Looking at every shadow of their dimly lit bedroom.

Dean didn't feel afraid. A sudden warmth filled him and he wondered if he was having another vision, dream, whatever. They were warded against everything so what or who?

"We're warded against evil." He rationalized out loud. "I don't get this." His mind tried to piece things together. Something was there just out of reach. He found himself reaching into empty air. He wouldn't have been surprised at all to come in contact with something. He heard the rustle again. He felt as if something warm barely caressed his fingertips and then the world faded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I was beginning to think you had slipped into a coma." Arandi huffed.

Dean sat up against the headboard and yawned. "I had the strangest dream."

"Visions? Dreams? Want to take a whack at telling my fortune?"

She was clearly upset and defensive which to Dean spelled out only one thing.

"C'mere." He opened his arms. When she worried about him she got very, very defensive and he loved her for it.

She pouted ever so slightly then practically dove into his arms. Burying her face in his neck. The perfect fit. Always was.

"I know you're scared, baby, but I'm ok. Right here with you." He tried to reassure even when he had no clue what he was reassuring against.

She snuggled closer. Climbed into his lap as far as she could go. "I love you." She breathed into his skin and he felt it to his very soul.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean." Arandi breathed. He rocked into her slowly and twisted his hips to go in at an angle. She gasped, her nails dug into his back a sure sign that he was doing good.

"I'm going to get you there, baby, just slow and easy." He nibbled into her ear. The heat of their skin moving together too deliciously intoxicating.

"Yeah." She heaved. "So, so good." Always so fucking good, always getting better.

He shifted again and went in at another angle. He loved to find different ways to make her purr. Different ways to vibrate out of his own skin. "Fuck." He hissed. The base of spine felt like molten lava just waiting to erupt into and out of his body.

Her eyes fluttered closed her lips parted on a desperate moan. He repeated the motions different angles. "Yes." In a hot desperate plea for more.

She began to arch and make sounds that had him going even slower so he wouldn't go before her. He was right there so fucking close but this was about her, he always made it about her first.

It seemed like delicious hours before one last twist and she was falling apart under him. His name a mantra as her body trembled from the climax that took her completely over and he followed close behind.

They trembled wrapped in each other, the release intense and over powering.

"I love you too." He said as he kissed her slow and easy. Hoping she felt it as strongly as he did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had gone shopping with Jade. Some sister time and Dean was sure to vent some about what she was afraid to say to him.

Of course that brought Sam to him and they watched football. He told him about his dream and Sam sat and pondered. "What if it wasn't a dream?"

"It had to be." Dean shrugged.

"With all the crap we've seen how can you be so sure?"

"What would be out there that would do that and not show itself or himself or whatever? What's the point?"

"I'll do some research."

"My ever faithful geek boy." Dean chuckled and ruffled Sam's hair.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam had fallen asleep on the sofa stretched out all long limbs dangling.

Dean sighed, game forgotten. Life was like a bullet, it shot through space and came to an end with a sudden impact whether you wanted it to or not.

He could remember Sam's first steps clearly. His first word had been an attempt at his big brother's name. He had followed Dean everywhere for the longest time.

Those big hazel eyes looking at Dean like he could never do anything wrong.

The first time he had gotten hurt he had searched out for Dean instead of even their mom.

The first time Dean had gotten really sick Sam had nearly passed out from the hyperventilating crying struggling from his little body. The first time he had seen Dean's blood he had passed out.

Dean wondered back then if it bothered their dad that Sam tended to want to be like Dean. He swore sometimes he'd see a hurt look pass over John's face.

Mary on the other hand couldn't be prouder at the closeness of her two sons.

Dean remembered those adoring looks of hero worship that he got from Sammy every time he managed to show his little brother some new skill or just about anything.

He remembered waking up to Sam being curled up to him many nights as they grew up. He acted like he minded but he really didn't because it made missing Arandi easier.

He also remembered how much it hurt when Sam proclaimed himself too old to be sharing a bed with his brother. How Sam stopped needing him just like that.

He sighed and flipped off the TV. He could hear Arandi and Jade coming up the stairs. He stood up to get the door.

"Never stopped needing you. Just didn't need to be babied." Sam muttered his eyes locking on his brother's.

Dean blushed. He hadn't realized that he had said things out loud. He rummaged for any kind of save. "Can't baby the jolly flannel giant."

"Great come back, bro, don't quit your day job." Sam snickered and grunted out a whoosh of air as Dean plopped on his stomach.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean worked under the SUV finishing up the last of the repairs. He twisted the wrench one last time before he realized that someone was standing beside the vehicle. Someone in heels and tapping her foot impatiently.

He pulled himself slowly out from under the car to find a beautiful blonde staring at him just as impatiently. "Are you done yet?"

"Just finished up." He smiled.

"About time, as much as I'm getting charged." The blonde groused.

"Sorry about that ma'am but you can't really set a time on good repairs."

The woman seemed displeased with the use of ma'am. "I'm not much older than you." She said as if that would explain away the problems of the world.

Dean took a breath to calm himself. "Just trying to be respectful."

She stepped towards him then stopped abruptly. She looked up and growled her eyes sliding into black orbs. "How did you know?"

"I'm a hunter bitch. Hey, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend."

Arandi stepped up beside Dean.

"She's got some words of wisdom for you."

Arandi began to recite an exorcism while the demon hissed and howled. Soon black smoke trailed away into nothing.

The blonde luckily was alive and completely freaked out on what had happened to her.

Arandi calmly explained to her what she needed to do to keep it from happening again and that it would be best if she kept it all to herself.

She was so happy that she still paid for the repair and gave Dean more than a hefty tip.

Once alone Arandi turned to Dean. "How in the hell did you know she was possessed by a demon and how in the hell did you get Hector and the others to leave?"

He chuckled. "She flinched when Hector bumped his funny bone and said Jesus Christ and I bet them that I could fix every car here alone by six."

"How much are they going to be out?"

"Steak dinners for the entire family on me." He grinned.

"I know demons are bad news, Dean. Why come after you here?"

"They're trying to clear a path to Sam."

"Good luck with that."

"Exactly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned against the hospital wall beads of sweat rolling down his overheated skin and he felt as if his lungs were shrinking by the second.

A hunt had gone terribly wrong and Sam had gotten the worst of it or so it seemed to an anxious older brother. Arandi and Jade had gotten hurt as well.

Sam had a broken left arm and a savage claw marks across his chest, there had been so much blood. The thought made Dean's stomach churn. He hunched forward a bit afraid he was going to hurl and fuck that was going to hurt like a bitch.

He felt awful to his core mentally, physically, and every other way that he could find to torture himself.

He had been as alert as he could be but even he hadn't expected for the werewolves to be in the trees. He had barely had time to react before watching Sam get yanked up by claws and then thrown full force into a tree. Twice.

Dean had heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking and he and the others had started shooting into the trees.

Arandi had been tossed around and hurt in trying to protect her knocked out sister and watch Dean's back.

He had screamed in frustration trying to get to Sam and help Arandi as well. Somehow Arandi took down two weres heading for Dean and another trying to maul Jade before she went down hard.

Dean filled with rage and started shooting haphazardly trying to get the remaining enemy to come to him, to stay clear of the women. None of the pain he felt was penetrating his mind. It was all about saving his team. His family.

If there had ever been a 'by the skin of their teeth' moment.

Dean had had to carry everyone to the car one at time and Sam was no small task anymore but Dean was way stronger than he looked. Behind the wheel he had had to force himself to focus, force the triple of everything back into one. All he could think was that he was supposed to keep everyone safe and he had failed but they were alive and now he had to make sure they stayed that way.

The lies flowed off his tongue of being attacked by a couple of wolves in another set of woods completely as he stumbled into the ER with Arandi in his arms begging for someone to help his brother and his girlfriend and sister. Covered in mix of their blood.

There were still bodies to dispose of in the other woods. He told of enraged wolves that were being chased by hunters and they had been taking a hike and were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So Dean waited for news on Sam and Arandi and Jade and for parents to arrive.

He knew that his dad was going to be pissed and he was right on the money.

John stormed into the hospital and all but dragged Dean outside once he had spoken to the doctor about Sam. Didn't even bother to ask his oldest if he was okay.

Once outside Dean took a deep breath and leaned back against the building. His left arm was beginning to stiffen up with the lack of motion. He didn't have it in him to stand up on his own fuel. He needed to get back inside. He needed to be able to breathe without it feeling as if he was sucking in hell fire.

"It's all you're supposed to do. Keep Sam safe. What the hell Dean?" John yelled.

"We walked into a trap. Somehow they knew we were coming."

"With your sloppy work you expect anything else?"

"Didn't see your ass out there." Dean hissed blinking away the fuzziness in his eyes. He stepped forward defiantly. To hell with his dad being judgmental when he fucked up on hunts too when he was Dean's age.

He grunted in shock as his dad shoved him back into the wall. "You're walking a thin line….." John growled.

He was shoved away in the next moment and stared into Mary's momma bear eyes. She looked seconds away from kicking his ass.

"Don't you dare stand there and blame Dean for this!" She screamed into John's face. "Do you even hear yourself? You act as if Sam is the only son we have and Dean is some hired expendable help!"

John visibly flinched. "That's not what I meant to….."

Jonathan came out then. "Sam is awake and asking for Dean."

"He's awake?" Dean whispered. He ran shaky bloody hands through his mussed sweaty hair. He just wanted to close his eyes for a minute.

"Yeah."

"He's going to be alright?"

"He's going to be fine."

"Thank God." Dean breathed. He suddenly felt cold and his heart was beating so fast it hurt. Pain filled his body everywhere.

"Come on now he's giving the nurses hell to see you." Jonathan wanted to get Dean inside. He could tell that he was on his last leg and he really didn't get John sometimes.

"Can you tell him…can you tell him that….I might be awhile." Dean slurred, his eyes rolled and he crashed heavily to ground.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I hope you're proud of yourself." Mary hissed at John. Her eyes filled with tears of anger and worry. "Our son was standing there bleeding out while you went savage on him. He finished off an entire pack of werewolves, carried three people out of the woods, drove for miles, and stood there making sure Sam and everyone was alright all with three broken ribs and shot with a silver bullet that barely missed his heart. Not to mention all the claw marks but that's not good enough for you huh no Dean needs to be from flipping Krypton and wear a red cape to register in your perfect hunter radar."

'He's a Batman fan.' John thought. He felt utterly ashamed but didn't dare say a word to his already raging wife. How in the hell had he missed Dean being hurt so badly? Sure he was a bit hunched and sweating but with the layers his sons tended to wear on a hunt all the blood had been seeping in his clothes. Even the doctor had wondered how Dean had been able to stay on his feet for so long. Just breathing had to have been an endeavor from hell.

"You had better get your head out of your ass John Winchester. I'll be damned if you think that I'm going to let you treat our first born as if his only importance in this world is to protect Sammy!" With that she stormed away.

John shook his head. He knew what Mary meant. She had made it crystal clear once that she would never chose him over their boys if he ever decide to fuck up that badly.

Had he really set that mindset to his oldest son? Did Dean really believe that he was just there to watch over his little brother and that he didn't matter? He thought back to so many orders and fell flat, every single thing he could remember was in Mary's favor. Just how was he supposed to fix that?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thankfully the police hadn't raised too much of a ruckus on Dean being shot. They were sure that the hunters would be long gone. The bullet had been a through and through so they couldn't get any evidence and four 'traumatized' teens couldn't be expected to remember the exact location. They took the Winchesters at their word since they were mostly hard working law abiding citizens. Bobby was a genius.

Sam and the girls were released a couple of days later and Dean was kept for nearly two weeks. To make sure his ribs didn't puncture anything and that he didn't end up with pneumonia. He had spiked a fever for a couple of days.

Arandi stayed by his side through it all and dared anyone to try to make her leave. Even nurses that had dealt with worried loved ones for entire careers avoided pissing her off again. They didn't get paid enough.

Jonathan was the one who got Dean into the apartment and settled into bed because Mary had pretty much forbidden John to be anywhere near their oldest for a while.

Dean didn't seem to notice since he was still floating on the good stuff.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam watched as Dean slept deeply. He had been out it for hours already but he deserved it.

Arandi had needed to run to the store so she had asked Sam to keep an eye on his brother while she went with their mom and hers.

He sat on the bed on Arandi's side facing his brother. He knew that Arandi hadn't meant for him to literally keep an eye on Dean but he wanted to do it. Needed to do it.

He still needed big brother though he tended to show it like he once did.

Dean had been shot because of him. His brother had put his ass on the line to save his life with no regards to himself. Again.

It had all been like a bad movie script.

Maybe they had gotten a little cocky on the fact that all their hunts as a team so far had been gravy.

It had almost seemed as if the werewolves had set a trap for them. Dean had seen it as a trap. Did they smell them with enough to time to climb into trees for the ambush?

Sam didn't know but everything had happened in real time vivid color and vivid agony. He looked at his casted arm. He had broken it in three places. He was lucky that it didn't require surgery and that was some pain he would never forget.

He hadn't even gotten a chance to fire a shot when the werewolf swung out of the tree and yanked him straight into the tree with such force the tree had cracked. The second throw had been just as violent and that was when Sam had tried to cushion the hit and he felt as well as heard the breaking of his bones mixed in with Jade screaming and Arandi yelling, Dean calling out everyone's name and werewolves growling all around. He wouldn't have been surprised at all if tacky horror music had started playing in the background.

Shock fucks a person up royally.

For a split second Sam had been sure that they were all going to die and then he'd seen Dean's eyes. It was a look Sam had seen before and as much as he enjoyed life, he didn't enjoy his big brother feeling as if he had to put his life on the line to save little brother.

Dean had done that with little fear of the werewolves. The only fear was that of letting the rest of them down. The rage that had taken over when Arandi was out of his reach.

Sam had watched with stunned awe as Dean took down one wolf after another after Arandi and Jade had gone down. He was graceful when he got his head in the 'must save' mode.

Downright fucking terrifying when all his fucks were broken and spread out at his feet.

It was when Dean had gotten attacked by two wolves that Sam thought he should do something, pain, nausea, and vertigo be damned.

He was hurting so much and his vision was blackening out but he lifted the gun anyway. Just in time for a werewolf to yank Dean in front of itself.

Sam had screamed in panic when he realized he had shot his brother but the werewolf had gone down anyway. The bullet having passed straight through Dean and to his credit he kept fighting as if he didn't have a hole in his body bleeding from two sides.

Sam had heard the sickening crush of Dean's ribs breaking when a larger werewolf speared him straight into a tree but Dean had wrenched the gun into place instantly and shot the bastard between the eyes at least three times.

Just like that Dean had taken care of the last of them while shot and broken.

Sam had blacked out then. He woke long enough to feel Dean carrying him to the Impala like he was still eight. He had briefly thought he had been wrong about Dean's ribs breaking. There was no way in hell he could lift Sam with broken ribs or being shot.

Yeah he tended to forget sometimes that Dean didn't think of himself first. Ever. He could have punctured a lung but he had made it look like a stroll.

He had carried three people in that state of injury hundreds of yards. It would have been hard enough just getting to the Impala with how hurt he was but he had done it carrying the extra weight and dragged himself back to repeat it twice more.

Sam had come around again to see his brother driving a bit hunched and he could feel the car drifting but Dean would blink hard and bring the car back to where it needed to be. Mumbling to himself.

"It's ok, Sammy. I got you." Dean had murmured when he caught sight of his brother's worried pain filled eyes in the rear view. Sam had passed out again.

Dean had driven for miles and then carried Arandi into the hospital and begged for help for the others in the car right at the ER doors.

Hell Dean had even parked the car after the rest of them had been carted away and had then stood there for nearly two hours while parents were called and police asked questions.

Dean had to have been in excruciating pain but not one person noticed until he fell unconscious. Not even his worldly parents.

At first Sam had no idea why Mary was raging at John but he soon pieced it together. John had made the mistake of raging on Dean about not taking care of Sam, like to hell with Dean himself or the girls.

Sam wasn't the type of person to relish favoritism. His dad could be really fucked up sometimes and he could just imagine how bad he would be if Mary wasn't there to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Dean shifted and moaned. His hands gripping the comforter tight. He was in obvious pain.

Sam furrowed his brows. Arandi had told him that he wasn't due for more med for at least three hours.

"Sammy?" Dean whispered. His eyes still closed.

"Right here, bro. You alright? Man, I haven't had a chance to tell you how sorry I am for shooting you."

"Don't, Sammy, you got the bastard."

"You kicked ass." Sam blushed. Only Dean would try to make him look better for fucking up.

"Not soon enough." Dean's eyes drifted to half-mast. "You shouldn't have gotten hurt, not this bad."

"Chicks dig scars remember?" Sam poked.

"We already have our chicks so fuck scars." Dean huffed and coughed which made him pale in pain.

Sam stood up and went closer to his brother. "Dean?"

"Sorry, Sammy." Dean mouthed and he went lax.

Sam wanted to panic but he realized that Dean was breathing fine Arandi said he had taken all the pills he needed. Dean had just let go the only way he could.

Sam got back on the bed this time laying down close to Dean. He winced as the stitches on his chest pulled but he got as comfortable as he could with his arm encased in that damned cast.

He wondered why his brother had apologized. Sam scoffed to himself. He damn well knew that Dean was apologizing for. No matter what anyone said he was taking the blame for what had happened and good luck trying to get him to change his mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had returned to the apartment expecting to find Sam either grubbing out or flipping channels or more than likely both. Broken arm or not.

She was quite surprised to find Sam sleeping soundly by Dean. Dean looked sweaty and pale so Sam must have gotten worried and stayed close. She put away the things she had bought. Every single thing for Dean's recovery and comfort.

She was going to make him homemade chicken soup and she'd make him his favorite pie.

She winced a bit when she bumped the wall as she walked into the living room. She was bruised and had gotten a handful of deep claw marks but otherwise fine.

Dean had suffered unbelievably and was still standing when the rest of them were out of it. She loved his strength and devotion but hated to think the pain he had to endure until he finally gave.

"Arandi?" Sam whispered close by.

She hadn't even realized that she had started crying. "I'm fine, Sam. Just thinking about Dean and everything."

"I'm sorry I shot him." Sam continued fidgeting where he stood looking like a sad puppy with his cast.

"You were trying to save him." Arandi argued but a shiver went through her none the less for how easily that bullet could have been fatal.

"Don't let him blame himself."

She huffed in disbelief. "You suddenly think that I'm some miracle worker? Dean takes the blame for so much, Sam. Things completely out of his hands. Hell I bet he even blames himself for the downfall of some of the Disney kids, unemployment, gas prices, but this you, all of us getting hurt. He's going to let himself get eaten up by it especially if your dad pushes it."

Sam shook his head, he couldn't argue. She was right and he knew it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was bored out of his head. He had to miss work, couldn't hunt, and Arandi was making him wait for other things too.

She was afraid that he would hurt himself. He had almost worn her down but then he had seen all the claw marks on her and knew that she was hurting too.

Dean had a high pain tolerance thanks to the fact that he was hurt often but still it had been serious and this type of pain, whew. He had never given off that he had been hurt at all while he got everyone out of the woods. How could he they were depending on him.

Maybe it was the pain tolerance, maybe it had been adrenalin but he didn't remember any pain until he had heard that Sam was going to be fine. Then he had felt every ache and wound come to life in vibrant color and felt that he'd lost quite a bit of blood.

He had barely even felt when his dad had shoved him. It had been mostly the shock of it.

Oh his dad. Arandi had told him all about how his mom had gone ape shit on darling dad and he had had to sleep in the tree house.

His dad didn't know he was hurt but still….

Was it wrong of him to feel a bit happy that his dad was as miserable as he was?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was sound asleep thanks to the pain killers he had been prescribed when he heard his name being shouted.

"Sam?" He yelled as he sat up fast and looked around.

Arandi sat up beside him. Looking around wide eyed.

"Dean!" Sam yelled from outside.

Dean hustled off the bed in an instant rushing for the door to find Sam at the bottom of the steps.

"What is it Sam? What's wrong?" Dean asked prepared for some kind of attack.

"Dude!" Sam laughed pointing at his arm and then at Dean.

Dean touched his chest. There was no pain whatsoever and Sam was moving and flexing an arm that was quite obviously no longer broken.

"What the hell?" Arandi muttered behind Dean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What has the power to heal like that?" Beth asked as they made breakfast just as the sun was coming up. "And why heal Dean and Sam without making itself known?"

"It healed all of us." Jade tossed in as she lifted her shirt to show all the scratches and bruises just gone.

Mary bit her lip nervously.

"You know something?" Beth pushed.

"It could be an angel."

"Angels don't exist." Dean huffed.

"After all the things you've seen you can say that?" Jade snickered.

"Exactly my point. If angels were real beings monsters that we hunt wouldn't exist."

"You seem to forget that Lucifer was an angel." Mary interjected.

Dean and Sam exchanged glances because they had never felt so freaking cold from just words.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean made sure that Arandi was sound asleep before he stepped out onto the patio area of their apartment. It was a comfortably cool night and he breathed in the night air.

He looked up into the sky and stared at twinkling stars. It was amazing that such beauty existed and the whys and the hows of it had always fascinated him.

They had never been exact in any one religion but his mom prayed. He knew Beth did too. He remembered asking his dad once if he believed in God and his dad had stared up into the sky like he was now and said. "All that, all this, it didn't make itself so I guess I do in a way but at the same time it's hard to believe that this powerful being that loves the world lets such horror exist."

Dean wasn't an atheist but he wasn't exactly on the holier than though band wagon either.

He flexed his shoulder. What should have taken weeks to heal was suddenly just healed. His mind was fighting for a logical conclusion but what logic was there with no proof to examine except that they were healed.

It was a great way to screw with their minds though getting them thinking in different directions completely distracted from what they really needed.

He stared a bit longer then yawned. He had figured that the night air would help him get a bit more sleep inclined. He turned to walk back inside and stopped.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His entire body covered in goose pimples. He wasn't alone but he wasn't scared.

He heard a slight rustling behind him and he turned to look but he never made it.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	16. CHOICES AND THEN SOME

I mentioned before that I will be using some of the shows story lines intermingled with this story but I have taken great liberties in names, occupations, and well just the fact that many people that are dead on the show are still alive here.

So if you see something that does not click with how it happened on the show it was totally done on purpose. Especially timelines.

CHOICES AND THEN SOME

Dean started awake, he stared around him and the room was bright with the morning light. One of them hadn't closed the blinds completely.

"Choices." He said out loud. He scratched his head sleepily. Where the hell had that come from?

He figured that it would come to him eventually. He stretched and pulled himself out of bed, thought he could score some points by making Arandi some breakfast in bed.

She had been awesome to him the entire time he had been down. She had been hurt too but had still doted on him.

Worked like a charm because as soon as she was done eating his eyes were rolling from what she was doing to him while he was pressed against the headboard and she was nudged in between his legs sucking his brain out.

"Mercy." He wheezed out though he really didn't mean it and she knew it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, what is this?" Arandi asked as she tidied up the bar.

He looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa. She was waving a sheet of paper in the air. "No idea."

"It's your handwriting and it wasn't here when I went to bed last night." She walked over to him and he took the paper.

It was his handwriting but he had no idea when he had written it. He began to read out loud. "Choices. Life is all about the choices we make nothing is set in stone. There is no set destiny. Every outcome comes from the choices we make every day. Everything we do is a choice. We all decide our own destiny for ourselves. We decide whether to walk in the light or run in the shadows." He stared at the paper. How could he not remember writing that? Did he sleep write now? "Choices." He mumbled.

Arandi stared at him. "Now you're a poet?" Then went back to cleaning the bar.

He got up and folded the paper in half and stuck inside his hunter's journal. Like he didn't have enough things to piece together already.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had about driven their parents' nuts. Sure they had all been healed but lots of people had seen them when they were hurt so they had to lay low. Easy for Dean and Arandi. Not so much for Sam and Jade who had to go to school.

They avoided the checkups by using the 'our uncle is a doctor' line. Still wearing a cast when nothing was broken was annoying.

That was until Dean came up with the idea for Sam to wear one of the prototype titanium braces.

There would be no confines of a cast and easy to put on a take-off once Dean adjusted it. No irritable itching.

Bobby showed up half a day later with what they needed and no one bothered to ask any of the hows.

Sam could have kissed his brother for letting his inner genius make an appearance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was summer before they knew it and Sam was on his way to brainiac camp. Well that was what Dean called it anyway. Honestly camp to learn more stuff that Sam had already aced in school. Not even summer was sacred to some people.

John had been proud but hadn't been thrilled with Sam having to leave home. Mary had put her foot down and to make sure that Sam was safe they were going to be nearby. That hadn't thrilled John either because like always he had planned on sending Dean regardless of whether or not his oldest already had plans.

Mary though had insisted that they would go since he had plenty of vacation time and Sam would only be gone for two weeks. John didn't argue. He wasn't keen on the idea of ending up back on the sofa.

To no one's great surprise Jade had scored the camp too so Jonathan and Beth would be taking the same 'vacation'.

Dean and Arandi didn't mind staying behind. It was a mini vacation all its own. They had time off from work too.

They weren't too surprised either that Bobby was asked to 'house sit'.

"What are we two?" Dean groused.

"It's all good." Arandi supplied with a smile. "This way someone is watching the houses while we go on a hunt."

"You found something?"

"I did but it's a little past our range."

"How little?"

"Missouri." Arandi replied with a face that said she was ready for Dean to come unglued on her.

His dad would hate it. "Missouri huh? We better get going then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, lying to your father is not the easiest thing in the world." Bobby huffed over the phone.

"Dad knows we're on a hunt." Dean replied as he paced outside the motel room where they were staying. "I made sure he knew."

"You just left out the part where you crossed a state line or two."

"How did you know?"

"I haven't stayed alive as long as I have by not knowing what the hell I'm doing you idjit. You better hope your dad doesn't go checking your GPS."

Dean hadn't even thought of that. "We should have this wrapped up in a couple of days. Seems like it's a ghoul thing." In other words he didn't really care if his dad had a cow.

"You know ghouls never work alone." Bobby pointed out.

"Only been hunting since I was out of diapers."

"Smart ass. Stay in once piece, both of you because I will find a spell to make you suffer as much as I have to if I have to give either of your mommas' bad news."

"Love you too." Dean chuckled and hung up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat at the bar seething. It was taking everything he had not to storm over and pull Arandi out of there. Hell with the ghouls.

She didn't have to flirt that convincingly. She didn't have to be wearing such a low cut top either or such tight ass jeans. He actually growled out loud. A couple next to him moved over a few stools.

Her eyes met his and she knew Dean was about to come apart at the seams. She liked the jealousy but he had to remember everything she was doing was just for show. Then the guy put his hand on her shoulder she moved away but not too obvious at the discomfort. Fake laugh bat of the lashes.

She looked towards Dean again but he wasn't where he had been. Trying to be subtle she looked around slowly until she spotted him at the pool tables. She breathed easy. If this guy didn't spill something soon she was walking.

Dean would vent by hustling pool, make them some extra money. She went back to trying to get information about the deaths in town. It was evident that the man knew more than he was letting on.

The next time she looked towards Dean he wasn't alone. Some girl was too close to Dean and touching and though he looked thirty shades of ready to bolt he was still standing there.

Jealousy was a two way street. It was also a great way to get killed. The thought almost cleared her mind before the world began to warble.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had managed to hustle some money and that always made him feel better. The way Arandi calmed herself by shopping or baking.

He had kept a constant vigil on Arandi and just how fucking long was it going to take for her to get the information that they needed? Hell he could have knitted a sweater by now and he didn't even know how to knit.

"You're really good." A soft female voice said behind him.

He turned slowly. A gorgeous girl stood there smiling shyly up at him. Her skin reminded Dean of chocolate pudding. His looking reminded him of cold nights on the sofa.

"I've had lots of practice." He replied. He flicked his eyes towards Arandi. She hadn't noticed yet.

"I've never really learned." The girl replied. She stepped closer and Dean couldn't help stepping back. "My mom says it's not lady like."

"You should always try to keep mom on your side." Dean smiled.

"My name is Cassie by the way. Cassie Robinson." She extended her hand.

Dean took it politely. "Dean. Dean Winchester."

"Cool name, I've never met a Dean so far."

"I was named after my grandmother, she died young."

"I'm so sorry." Cassie laid her hand on Dean's forearm where he was leaning on his hip against the pool table.

His stomach clenched and he whipped his head towards Arandi. Only she wasn't there anymore. His eyes scanned the bar. He stood straight half expecting for Cassie to suddenly be shoved to the ground.

The man Arandi had been talking to wasn't there either. Dean had just turned away for a moment. "Son of a bitch." He said under his breath.

"You okay?" Cassie asked.

"Umm, yeah, hey listen I've got to go." He threw the pool cue on the table.

"Maybe you can call me sometime." She smiled and batted her lashes. She slipped a paper into his pocket.

"Sounds good." Dean said and then hurried away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He searched the entire parking lot and then the inside of the bar again. He managed to successfully avoid Cassie. He was about to panic. Every call he made to Arandi went straight to voicemail.

He rushed outside again and stopped. Ok panicking wasn't going to help either of them. Maybe she had just gotten mad because of Cassie. "You wish." He said to himself. Arandi didn't walk away from crap like that not without laying someone out and staking her claim.

He took a deep breath and let the hunter part of him take over. Opened his senses up and began to look around outside again.

He found blood on the fender of one car. Arandi's phone a few feet past that.

"Son of a bitch." He growled as he made a complete circle where he stood his hands pressed against his head. How had he fucked this up? If he had just stayed at the bar watching.

He rushed to the Impala and was about to get in when he spotted the man Arandi had been talking to across the street.

He looked disheveled and Dean's stomach did a nauseating flip. He was on the guy before he even realized that he had started to move. His knife in his hand.

He shoved the man into an alley and pressed him against the wall forearm across his throat knife pressed to his sternum.

"Where is she?" Dean hissed.

The man's eyes were wide. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The girl that you were talking to inside the bar. Where the fuck is she?"

"She went to the bathroom and I didn't see her again after that."

Dean took a deep breath. His teeth clenched tightly together. He had been trained to read scum bags like this fuck. He was lying.

He pushed forward a bit harder. "Don't fuck with me because gutting you right here right now would satisfy an itch like you wouldn't fucking believe."

The man looked panicked and then his face transformed and he smiled as if being threatened with death was the most normal part of his day.

"You'll never find her in time. They were really hungry."

"The ghouls, they have her?" Dean's heart throttled and his mind began to work out what to do.

The man nodded as if he had the upper hand. "Now if you would kindly get the fuck off of me I can call them tell them their cover will be blown if you don't get little sweet britches back."

Dean glared at the man. "You're not a ghoul but you supply them victims? How do you sleep at night? Or ever?"

"Pays well and they stay out of the limelight after all they do have to cover up for the people whose identity they stole."

"You're just as much a monster as they are." Dean hissed.

"Tomato, tamahto." The man sang smugly. "Everyone's gotta die sometime."

"Make the call." Dean stepped back, barely contained fury ready to rip right out of him.

The man made the call, kept his eyes on Dean like he was in control. He just didn't know what fucking with a Winchester would merit him. What fucking with a Winchester's girlfriend would entail.

Dean let him talk just enough, then the man was sliding to the ground dead, the sharp knife having slit him open. He barely made a sound the look of total disbelief etched on his face.

"Everyone's gotta die sometime." Dean said evenly. He stared at him for a moment. A slight sense of panic filled him for just a few seconds. He had just killed a human. A very sick twisted soulless human but still human. Now the only thing that mattered was getting to Arandi.

He covered his ass as much as he could and then rushed back to the Impala and roared into the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi calmed herself. Dean would be outside any minute. It wouldn't take him that long to figure out she wasn't close by anymore.

These freaks were going to be so sorry.

Of course leave it to them to find and question the very nutcase that was supplying the ghouls.

Arandi would have already kicked his ass but he had dosed her with something that had her unable to control her arms and legs. Her mind was going to shut down fast and no one was trying to help her.

She realized that she just looked like someone that had had too much to drink being helped out of the bar. He was none too gentle either. Scraped her up against some cars and she dropped her phone before he took her down an alley and threw her into the back of a white van.

She landed askew and thankfully couldn't really feel it.

"Such a waste." The scum bag murmured close to her and ran his filthy hands over her.

Dean coming to her rescue any minute was still her only thought before everything slipped into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi opened her eyes or at least she tried. She was tied to a table and ghouls were licking their lips over her. She could feel her limbs tingling but still couldn't move. The stench of decay filled her nostrils.

"You're going to taste like fine wine." One of the female ghouls spoke. She licked Arandi's face.

Arandi tried to say something but her lips only opened on a gasp of air. What the hell had they given her?

She realized with an ache of emotional turmoil that Dean hadn't rescued her. Which meant he had either died trying or he hadn't bothered at all.

Tears slipped past her closed again eyes. She hardly felt the pain of them slicing her open over her breaking heart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks to the every growing technology, Dean had been able to pinpoint the destination of the man's call to within a couple of blocks radius. He looked for the signs that would give the ghouls away.

Ghouls loved human blood and they usually had to take on the form of someone they killed so that they could keep killing.

It was easy to find the last house at the end of the street. Like some horror movie back story everything closed tight, like they had something to hide. Secrets buried along with the rotting bodies and fuck he needed to get a grip.

Dean jumped the fence and made his way slowly to the back door. He listened for any sound, watched for any movement. His gun in hand, and machete at his side, his heart in his throat.

If Arandi wasn't ok….

Anger and frustration filled him. His eyes burned with angry tears and he couldn't take anymore. Every moment that he waited was Arandi's life.

They were more than likely expecting him since the phone call. They just didn't know they were getting one pissed off hunter.

He stepped back, felt for the extra clips in his jacket. He took a deep breath and then kicked in the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean blinked hard. He sat on his ass his back against a wall, pain shooting through his left side. His vision blurred in and out of focus.

Ghouls didn't work alone. That was taught to him ages ago but no one had ever told him they worked in families.

Five of them to be exact and they now lay dead around him. One of them had slashed him with a knife and another had tossed him into the wall. Dean had somehow come out on top….barely. It paid to let fury take over sometimes.

He landed on his ass sliding down the wall when everything had begun to go dark. He had never felt that disoriented and hedging passing out before from just a cut. Granted it was deep and painful but still.

"Arandi." He pushed himself up, hissed in pain but pushed it back. When in the hell had knife wounds started hurting so badly? He aimed his gun at each body and pumped two bullets into each head. "Better safe than ghoul chowder." He mumbled.

He stumbled forward having to lean against the wall more than he cared to admit. Leaving a bloody trail behind him.

He came to some stairs and he looked up. Damn he hoped he didn't have to climb those. "Arandi!" He called out and stood still and listened.

Nothing.

"Arandi!" He yelled louder. 'God please, please.' He whispered to himself.

A thud.

He listened intently.

Another thud. He moved forward past the stairs. Two doors stood side by side and Dean kicked them in even as everything spun around him from the pain and the blood he was losing.

He'd found the dining room and there was Arandi strapped to the table like the main course.

The thuds he had heard were feeble kicks at best but it just meant that she was alive. Barely but alive.

"Arandi." He breathed her name and stumbled towards her.

Two bodies lay in a heap and he recognized the faces of two of the ghouls that he had just killed, these were the original victims.

He got to Arandi's side. She was so pale and what little color she had was nearly blue. She was trembling. Dean knew the lack of blood was making her cold.

"Arandi, baby, I'm here." He whispered. He kissed her forehead. Her eyes opened to half-mast. She stared at him like she thought he wasn't really there.

"I'm here." He repeated. He shuddered to see two basins half full of her blood where tubes were bleeding her out. One at her neck like an IV and the other in her side.

He pulled everything loose and quickly pressed handkerchiefs to the wounds.

He cut her free and lifted her into his arms. She was so cold. He took a deep breath fighting back his own dizziness, he moved forward blocking everything from his mind but the fact that he had to get them out of there.

He nearly sobbed when he reached the Impala. He set her onto the hood while he opened the door and got out the blankets from the trunk. He settled her wrapped as warm as he could get her onto the car seat.

Just how many times was he going to have to deal with blood on his car seats and down in between the back rest and seat. Yeah he was going into shock if he was thinking about that right now.

He stared at the house. Her blood, his blood, look alikes were all in there and lord only knew what else, he couldn't take the time to clean up. He barely had it in him to drive them out of there.

He mentally strengthened himself and headed back into the house. He flipped on every gas line he could find downstairs. Stuffed his pockets with money he found lying around then stumbled back outside.

He turned the Impala around and got as safely away as he could and still make the shot.

One bullet and the house blew like the grand finale on the Fourth of July.

The police were going to be baffled for years and Dean wondered just how many cold case files he was part of now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby sat back enjoying a tumbler of whiskey. It was strange how quiet the Winchester Remington properties were when devoid of Winchesters and Remingtons.

He had grown accustomed to the constant chatter and part time bickering. He sighed and he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and smiled to see Dean on his caller ID.

"You're ruining my quiet time idjit." He said fondly. He sat up straight his heart going into overdrive when all he heard was labored breathing and not the good kind. He stood up and began moving towards his truck. "Tell me where you are."

"Bobby…." Dean's voice barely audible. "I couldn't…..save her….."

Bobby stopped walking. "No, no, no." He muttered. "Dean, tell me where you are."

"You gotta help me save her." Dean sobbed.

Bobby hated to do it but he was going to have a heart attack otherwise. He got a grip. Closed his eyes.

"Boy, tell me where the hell you are now! That's an order." Bobby felt nauseas when he heard the feeble "Yes sir."

"It's the only way I can help you save her, son." He amended before Dean actually hung up on him.

"I…..um…I just…..drove….not sure. Can't….um…..no…hospital."

In the hunter's world that was code for 'they won't believe this shit and we'll be in a padded cell.'

"I'm going to have to GPS your phone." Bobby said slowly.

"K."

"Dean, I need you to stay on the line."

"K."

"Dean, how bad you hurt, boy?"

"Arandi, Bobby."

Bobby swore to himself. Dean and his never ending to crusade to put everyone before himself no matter what the cost. Mary was the only reason he hadn't filled John Winchester full of buckshot for doing that to his son. He heard a pained groan.

"Dean?"

"Hur…..ry, ple…."

Bobby heard the phone fall. He stopped breathing and waited. The phone stayed connected. He could still GPS the phone as long as it was turned on. He just needed the connection to stay sane. Any sound to assure him that these kids like he still considered them were clinging to life.

Ghouls were nasty fearsome creatures and Bobby had no idea how bad it was. He got his laptop revved up and within minutes he knew where Dean and Arandi were but it would take him hours to get there. It had been decades since he had felt the urge to cry.

He bit it back. He couldn't be there in time but he had enough connections to damn well make sure that somebody else would be. He pulled out his back up cell. Made all the calls he needed and then stayed on the line to wait it out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi felt cold down to her bones. She shifted slightly to curl up and pain shot through her. She remembered what had happened and fought her eyes open.

She half expected to still be tied to the table but though it was night she could smell the familiar scent of the Impala. She could smell Dean. She could smell blood.

She was wrapped in a couple of blankets which did little to warm her. Moonlight streaming through the windshield helped her see some. The Impala was in the middle of the woods. She wasn't going to be able to stay conscious long.

Dean had saved her after all. Just had decided to take the long detoured scenic route. He was there beside her. His arm stretched over her but he wasn't moving and he sure wasn't breathing like someone who was just sleeping.

Besides as hurt as she was there was no way that Dean would just park in the woods. Not unless…

"Dean?" She pushed past cracked dry lips. She shifted a bit more. Dean's arm slid forward but nothing else. She moved to where she could look up at him. He was leaning towards her but he was clearly out cold. A grimace of pain etched on his bloody face.

She wanted him to save her not get himself killed doing it. She slid her hand out and touched his chest. She felt the sticky warmth of fresh blood mixed with drying blood.

"Dean?" She tried again. It wasn't her blood. She knew damn well where most of her blood was.

He moaned low in his chest. His head moved ever so slightly but he didn't wake. She swore that she could hear Bobby's far off voice calling to her and Dean.

So they were going to die in the Impala out in the middle of the woods.

The thought barely cleared her mind before the brightness of headlights were aimed directly towards the front of the Impala.

Why the fuck had she thought this hunt was a good idea? This was basically all her fault but all she could think was that she was never going to be able to tell Dean how much she loved him and how much it had hurt when he wasn't there.

She heard the slam of a door and voices. She closed her eyes her hand still on Dean's chest. She knew they would die together just like they had been born. She took a breath and let go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Take it easy." Dean heard when he tried to sit up too fast.

"What?"

"You lost a lot of blood and you need to just relax." The man's voice said soothingly.

"Where?"

"Bobby sent me to you when you called him. You nearly gave the old man a heart attack. He thought he was hearing you take your last breath."

Dean's brain was a fuzz of trying to piece it all together.

"Been stabbed and sliced before….never felt….."

"Poison on the blade. They weakened their victims like that. You got a grand dose."

"Arandi?" Dean tried to sit up again.

"Right beside you. Found you just in time. She was nearly exsanguinated. No idea what kept her alive. I've had to pump gallons of blood into her."

Dean turned to look at her. She wasn't as pale as when he'd found her but she wasn't back to her full color either. She was under piles of covers and still shaking.

"This was all my fault."

"If I didn't know who your parents were I'd be taxing you for being out there hunting at your age."

"Who are you again?" Dean asked, squinting his still very tired eyes up at the older man.

"Pastor Jim and you're in one of my and Bobby's many back up cabins."

"Pastor? And you're a hunter?"

"Demons don't discriminate." Jim huffed. "Anyway, Bobby's got you covered with your parents. Sent them on hunt near where they are so they won't be calling you for a couple a days. I used to visit you a lot when you all were still waddling around."

Dean nodded and yawned. "Uncle Jim."

"Yeah, kiddo, that would be me. Get some rest. When you wake up again I'll have you some stew and corn bread hot and ready."

Dean nodded again and curled towards Arandi and was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had stayed with Pastor Jim for three days. Until Arandi was nearly back to normal and she had yet to speak a word to Dean. She stayed on the same bed with him but any attempt at talking or touching was met with complete and total brush off.

As if Dean didn't feel bad enough. He didn't push it. Not in front of Jim.

Jim had gleamed the information that the explosion and bodies found in the house were under investigation and the body of man found in an alley across from a bar had been chalked up to a drug deal gone bad since the man had had lots of money and cocaine on his person and a record about ten miles long.

"People like that don't get much time wasted on them." Jim sputtered. His eyes reading Dean.

Dean could feel the question burning into his skin. "I did what I had to do to get to Arandi. Human or not he had to die. He sure didn't mind putting up all those humans for a couple of grand."

"I'm the last person to judge, son, but that's a slippery slope."

"When it comes to my family. My girl….it's scary sometimes how far I'll go."

"You are John Winchester's son."

"Funny I feel more like Mary's most days."

Jim nodded. John Winchester could be a stubborn ass even when it came to his own. Looked like the son was heading in the same direction with a different agenda.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was beside Dean as he slept. Jim had gone out to get more things. Dean had saved her and somehow had managed to get Bobby to send help. He had gotten sliced up in the process.

She should be thrilled. They were alive. They had completed the hunt. So why couldn't she let go of Dean's distraction? He hadn't done anything. Women flirted with him often. Men too for that matter. Why was she letting this get to her?

"Because his distraction had caused my distraction and….." She looked down at her hand and made it into a fist. He hadn't even noticed but the hell she was going to cry about it. She knew what she had to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke the day they planned on leaving or the day he planned anyway, and found himself alone on the bed.

Jim was leaning against the doorway. "She left about three hours ago while it was still dark. All she said was that she needed to get her ring back."

Dean started to throw his clothes on. "Why didn't you wake me? She shouldn't be out there alone. What is she thinking?"

"She made me promise to give her head start and boy what makes you think any other male can have resistance to those damning eyes, pastor or not?"

Dean huffed. He had been so worried about her that he hadn't even realized that the ring that he had given her was not on her finger.

He grabbed his duffels and rushed out to the car. "Thank you for everything, Jim."

"There's something about you, Dean, I can't quite place but I swear you will always be in my prayers."

Dean wasn't sure why but it gave him the slightest amount of peace and he could use all of that he could get to come his way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It hadn't taken Arandi long to hot wire a car and get back to the town where she had been nearly killed.

Even though she felt betrayed by Dean that ring meant way too much to her to just let go, it was part of her and whether Dean was at her side or not she needed that ring.

She kept telling herself that Dean hadn't done anything wrong. He had saved her and taken care of her but all she could see in her mind was that girl touching him and him being distracted long enough for her to be taken.

That made her even angrier because in her distraction of watching Dean with said girl she let her guard down and none of it would have happened.

Her mom had told her that women would always chase after Dean. That she would always have to deal with it but that she had to have the faith that Dean would not be tempted.

The same faith that he had to have in her. Many men had hit on her but all she could ever see in her mind was how they were not like Dean. No one's eyes were that right color of green, no one's smile could make her melt and well the list just went on and on.

She wanted to believe that Dean found her, saved her because he loved her and would always. She hadn't said a word to him, she didn't know what to say. Finding the phone number in his jacket hadn't settled her turmoil at all. She was lost without him and it scared her to think that someday she would have to face that fate.

He hadn't noticed that the ring was gone. Was that bad, was that good? She hadn't the slightest but she had to get it back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He felt a tangle of dread heading back to the town where he had killed a human but if Jim was right he was in the clear.

He had no idea where to even begin looking for Arandi so he headed to the bar to ask if she'd been there.

The bartender said she had been there earlier asking about a pawn shop.

Dean sat and ordered a drink. He worked it out in his brain. The man must have taken Arandi's ring when he took her. Probably was sure that he could make some extra money off it because it was anything but a Cracker Jack ring.

Dean went outside and used his phone. He used credentials that his dad used often to find out if a ring had been found on the man's body and he was told no.

That meant one of two things. The man never had the ring or a cop decided to make his own money on the side with the ring he had found on a dead drug heads body.

Dean headed back into the bar. He nearly turned right back around when he saw Cassie with a couple of other girls but he headed back to the bar.

"Do you by any chance know the names of the police around here?" He asked the bartender.

"I know some of the ones that frequent here but if anyone knows them all it's Cassie over there. Her dad runs the newspaper."

Cassie, of course, he would have to talk to her to get what he needed.

He looked over to where she was and she had already spotted him. He slammed back the beer he had ordered and picked up the next one before he put on one of his best fake smiles and walked over.

"So I never heard from you." Cassie said right out.

"Had to go visit a sick uncle." He shot back. Fuck he had forgotten all about the phone number and Arandi must have found it.

"Phones don't work where he lives?"

"Had other things to take care of, you know how it is around family?" 'Ninja girlfriend that could snap your neck with two fingers and make it look an accident before your last breath finished.'

Cassie nodded. "Something wrong?"

"I came to this town to do a little investigating and the bartender just enlightened me that you're father runs the paper. As coincidence would have it I'm a reporter for the Rambler out Pearsall Texas and I was looking for some information on a police officer here. Heard tell that you would be the one who would know them all by name."

"If there's a juicy story to be told why would I dare let another paper and in another state at that run with it?"

"If I find anything news worthy it's all yours." Dean smiled and extended his hand.

Cassie took it. "It's a deal."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean looked all around him as he walked side by side with Cassie towards the newspaper office which was about seven blocks from the bar.

Arandi was here in the same town and if she saw him with Cassie it wasn't going to be pretty. Even if she had been giving him the silent treatment.

Cassie was wearing a denim mini skirt and a white halter top and she wore white boots. Her long curly hair splayed over her bare shoulders.

Dean really wished that he had thought this through.

He was grateful when they were finally inside the building but not grateful to be alone.

He watched as Cassie booted up a computer and soon the printer was spitting out a couple of papers.

"That's everyone who wears a badge in this town." She smiled sweetly running her fingers lightly over his as she passed him the papers.

Now all Dean had to do was go to the pawn shop and compare the names to anyone that had pawned a ring in the time since the body was found.

"Thanks and like I said. If I dig anything up that would go front page it's yours." He began to walk to the door but she pulled him back.

"What's the rush? Maybe you can, you know, talk me into giving up a story or two."

Dean's eyes widened but his body was frozen in place as she got on her toes and proceeded to kiss him. He needed to pull away and his whole body screamed it but at the same time the sensation of kissing another woman just once was overwhelming.

It was also very disappointing because when he kissed Arandi it was always like kissing fire that touched his soul. This was nowhere near that. He couldn't do this he loved Arandi and he should have played the girlfriend card from the start. Fuck he was a moron.

He pulled back about to tell Cassie what a huge mistake it all was. His tongue caught behind his teeth. Arandi stood framed in the doorway behind Cassie and Dean could kick himself for not thinking that Arandi would come to the same conclusions as he had. Only instead of asking for help she would just break into the office and get the info herself.

Cassie eyed him curiously and then Dean was moving her aside.

Arandi's eyes showed nothing but a sadness almost as if it didn't surprise her at all.

She was gone in a breath.

"Arandi!" Dean called as he rushed to the door where she had been standing.

She was long gone and Dean heard the snick of the closing door.

"Dean? Who was in here?"

"My girlfriend….she just saw…..fuck." He growled punching the wall as he headed for the door.

"Hold on. Your girlfriend was in here? Why?"

"We work together."

"And you're just now mentioning this?" Cassie yanked him back again. "What are you up to?"

"I've got to go." Dean hissed.

"Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck?" Cassie hissed back. "If you're not interested just say so you don't have to make up some whack a do story."

"You want whack a do? How's this? I hunt monsters and I kill them. By monsters I mean vampires, ghouls, werewolves, you name it I hunt it."

"You're a complete dick. I've heard some bullshit to get out of seeing people but you take the cake! You just wanted to get what you needed and then bolt." She ripped the papers from Dean's hand. "Well fuck you."

"Not even on your birthday." He growled and stormed out the door.

So it wasn't the grandest thing to say in the situation but he had much bigger things to worry about.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi ran down the alley and jumped onto a fire escape nearly silently. She shimmied up the side of the building until she had to climb the rest of the way free style.

She stopped and looked down to see Dean running past the building where she was perched. He hadn't stayed. He had followed her and he looked completely stressed. Was it because of what had happened or because he'd been caught?

The woman, this Cassie had kissed Dean. He hadn't initiated anything but hadn't exactly pulled back either. Not fast enough anyway.

Normally she would kick some bitch's teeth in but Dean had always acted affronted when touched without permission. This had been a bit different.

She thought all the drama had been left behind in high school. What if Dean had liked it? What if he thought now that he wanted to try other kisses? What if that wasn't the only thing he wanted to try?

She swallowed back the tears. She was being a psycho bitch and she knew it. She just couldn't help it. She needed a drink in the worst way.

There was nothing else she could do anyway until morning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucky for him, Dean had a descent memory even after having so many concussions in his short life. Forced memory training by his dad was a big part of it too. The once over he had given the papers he had been able to remember the names so he had written them all down as fast as he could once he got to the Impala.

He had to find Arandi as soon as possible and get the hell out of town even if he had to toss her in the trunk for a few towns. Cassie might raise a stink for being unceremoniously dumped before she was even picked up.

He had no idea what he was going to do if he ran into her again while he looked for Arandi.

He had given Arandi back her phone. He knew she wouldn't answer and that she probably had it turned off.

So he had to do things the hard way. He had to get the service provider to turn the phone on by satellite just long enough to ping her location and that took a couple of hours in itself as he had to use more credentials and they had to be verified which was Bobby's job.

He found her in another bar drunk to her ass. Surrounded by less than the gentlemen type.

He sighed deeply. Cracked his neck. This was not going to be easy but the mother fucker who presently had his arm around her had better have damn good health insurance.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	17. WHAT IS DONE IS DONE

WHAT IS DONE IS DONE

Arandi's stomach rolled nauseatingly fast as she tried to sit up and not throw up all over herself. Her whole body rejected every movement. She managed to get her head over a trash can that had been strategically placed just as she spewed.

Her hair had even been tied back out of the way. She didn't remember how it gotten that way.

When she finally didn't have anything left. She looked around bleary eyed. She was in some hotel room that she didn't recognize and she was in nothing but her underwear. Oh God.

Her eyes filled with tears. What had she done? She was infuriated with Dean but she never ever intended to sleep with someone else.

She wanted to run from the room screaming but her legs felt like Jello and her stomach turned again.

She started sobbing uncontrollably. Taking deep painful breaths as she hitched. She couldn't grasp anything. She couldn't remember anything past the men at the bar buying her one drink after another and their hands on her.

How could she be so stupid? What else did she expect from men at a bar? She had just wanted to wipe the sight of Dean kissing another woman from her mind not this, God, not this?

She suddenly couldn't breathe. She grabbed at her chest trying desperately to suck in air but all it was, was ugly gut wrenching sobs.

She heard a door open, something dropped with a loud clunk on a table and then hurried footsteps.

"Arandi, hey, it's ok, you're ok." Dean's voice soothed close to her ear.

Complete and total relief filled her and she fell against him and sobbed until she had nothing left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean cleaned up the mess while Arandi slept a little longer.

He moved slow, wincing at the aches and pains from the hella bar fight he had started the night before to get Arandi away from the men who had less than pure thoughts. He was damned lucky he hadn't pulled the stitches from the cut still healing on his side.

He had yet to sleep making sure that she was alright, that she didn't choke on her own puke and once he was sure that she was safe he had gone out to run a couple of necessary errands.

It broke his heart to come back to the room he had gotten for the night a few towns over and find her in tears. Looking so broken and full of regret.

She thought she had done something that she couldn't take back and Dean found the slightest bit of comfort in knowing that she would be that broken to do such a thing.

The same turmoil he had felt for allowing Cassie to kiss him, briefly but still a kiss. He knew how she felt. Just seeing the man at the bar with his arm around her had sent him into a rage. If he had kissed her Dean wasn't sure the guy would have gotten away with just a busted nose and broken wrist.

He calmed Arandi down and the relief that filled her eyes that it was Dean that she was with and not some random stranger that had taken advantage of her was palpable.

She had clung to him and sobbed some more. He had just held her and rocked her until the hitching had stopped and she fell asleep in his arms. He hated to see her like that. Hated to see that emotional pain that was eating her alive from what she thought she had done because Dean had kissed someone else.

They were too young for this shit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Arandi woke again she sat up slowly and sat with her head down staring at the carpet. She felt like shit emotionally and physically. Dean should hate her. No one had kissed her not that she could recall but it so easily could have been so, so bad for her letting herself get that fucked up. If Dean hadn't bothered looking for her she could only imagine what would have happened.

The thought of how Dean would have looked at her then made her heart ache. She had a really bad, sad habit of picturing scenarios of things that were never going to happen. A bad case of the 'what ifs'. Waste of time but her habit none the less.

Dean's voice startled her.

"There's everything you need in the bathroom. Go take a shower it will make you feel better." He said softly.

She couldn't look at him, not yet.

She nodded and made her way slowly to the bathroom closing the door behind her. She brushed her teeth for at least five minutes. She was pretty sure her breath smelled as bad as her mouth tasted. She could hear Dean moving about. He was probably putting clean linens on the bed.

There no way that she could stay mad at him what he had done she had done ten times worse or so it seemed. He had to be furious and maybe the only reason he wasn't showing her the door was because he did love her that much.

Maybe they needed a screaming match to get the feeling of 'how fucking stupid is this' out of their system. "You're a fucking idiot with more issues than Rolling Stone." She mumbled to herself.

She should be grateful that everything was fine so far. If Dean was going to go nuclear meltdown on her she deserved it. Dean had let a girl kiss him for zero point two seconds. Arandi had been groped by a handful of men at least she thought that was what had happened.

No competition. Hands down, up, jazzy whatever she had tilted the scale way, way further than necessary. She sighed. She also tended to over think things.

She was just a sad sack of fuck up wasn't she? A straight up middle finger to the people who thought she had it made because of her looks and her loving family.

She stayed under the spray of water until it started to go cold. She dried off and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked slightly better than she had days ago when she had been nearly drained of all her blood. Still bruised here and there but vertical and breathing. 'Yay me.' She thought.

She put her hair back up and dressed in warm ups and a hoodie that Dean had left on the counter. It was his hoodie and she breathed in his scent as tears prickled her eyes. That feeling inside of her like she would break apart without Dean, she hated it sometimes. She loved Dean, would love him with every breath she had till it was her time. His going before her wasn't an option and that was her greatest fear.

If there was one thing she prayed for everyday was that they died together. It would only be right since they had entered the world at the same time.

She leaned back against the wall by the door listening. She could still make out Dean moving about. He was still there. Probably doing his own dramatic stage performance in his head.

God she felt like a moron trapped in some ridiculous soap opera. The very ones that she made fun of on a regular basis. Karma, that fucking bitch.

She finally stepped out of the bathroom to find Dean sitting at the table with food spread out for them both. He was stirring some soup in a Styrofoam bowl that he had apparently just taken out of the microwave.

He looked at her. His face unreadable. The new bruises that littered his handsome face made her cringe inwardly. He had gotten hurt because of her.

Nothing life threatening but she didn't like to see him hurt in any way. Especially if it could have been prevented. Their parents were going to have a fit to end all fits even though they were adults now.

Her stomach growled loudly. A quick glance at the clock told her that it had been over twenty four hours since drama central. Reality TV would love them.

A slight nod from him told her to join him.

She shuffled over and sat across from him and he pushed the soup in front of her. Broccoli cheese with crushed crackers just the way she loved.

She could feel his eyes burning into her but she couldn't look into that green hurt that she knew was there. The doubt that was sure to shine through.

He stood up and placed half a Rueben sandwich close to her and a glass of sweet iced tea with lime. He knew everything about her. Her every like and dislike. Another bowl with some fruit he placed on the other side of her followed by a napkin and plastic fork and spoon.

He sat back down and began to eat a burger, slowly, not the usual gusto that Dean held for a triple meat cheeseburger with bacon and extra onions. The orgasmic noises he made when enjoying artery clogging meals.

She started to eat but it was like a lump in her throat. She was hungry but she needed to know that Dean was ok.

"You need to eat." He said around his food.

"I will…but….." She finally met his eyes.

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had finished their food. Dean cleaned up and walked to the bed where he leaned back against the headboard. He had changed into more comfortable clothes.

"C'mere." He said holding out his hand to her and she went with the greatest of relief. She sat between his legs her back to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Kissed her temple gently. Pulled the covers over them and laid his chin on the top her head.

He couldn't even begin to explain the extreme relief of her being in his arms again. The perfect fit, always was.

"I let you down in so many ways." He began. "I let my jealousy get the best of me and I let you get taken."

"But you found me." She said. Yeah it hadn't worked quite like that in her mind when it was happening but he had found her, had saved her and here they were. Beaten up and hopefully the better for it all.

"You should have never been taken." He replied angrily. "Things could have gone so badly." He had a 'what if' vice too.

"We're here now, together. Alive, maybe a little worse for wear but…."

"If anything had happened to you…" He hoped that he expressed that he truly meant anything, anything. He voice caught in his throat all the worst case scenarios that had made cameo appearances while he drove himself insane over her. Ok so some of them had been feature length, he had his dramatic side too.

"That thing with Cassie." He had to get this part out now whether or not it started a meltdown. She had seen and she had fled. She had also nearly gotten over her head. He shuttered to think what he would have found if had been even ten minutes longer.

He felt Arandi tense at the mention of the name.

"I was never interested in that way. I hope you know that. I just froze, never having kissed another woman but you my entire life, it was like curiosity killed the cat. Not wow I like this."

"It didn't seem to be killing you at all." She snipped.

"She wasn't you. No one is you but you. It was nothing to brag about trust me. No fireworks, no earth quaking." He squeezed her tighter. "Not like with you that even now every kiss it the fourth of July and I have seismograph and a dozen fire extinguishers hidden in the Impala."

Arandi giggled and snuggled closer to him. He was joking a good sign that they were headed in the right direction.

"I shouldn't have left the way I did from Jim's. If I had talked to you then instead of acting like you owed me, none of this would have happened. I just felt betrayed that I was taken because you were paying attention to that girl. You were there saving me soon enough but I couldn't shake the feeling that you might want to see if I was really the one still."

"Arandi, it is you, always you, twenty years and counting well almost with you and I will never love another. We have to flirt sometimes for our hunts and I have to be more secure about that, it's just that when you're flirting and all that, you look so fucking beautiful and I hate anyone else seeing that part of you. You're mine. Period. I don't care how possessive a bastard that makes me sound like."

"I know how you feel. Jealousy is a part of loving someone completely isn't it? I mean I want to completely trust you and I do it's the other people I don't trust. Love spells and sex pollen, fuck or die rituals. It's all there in our lives, Dean, and you're mine and I really don't know how Cassie isn't having to have extensive dental work done."

"Yeah, I know. I wish I could promise you that I will never be jealous again but I can't do that and be honest with you or myself."

"I understand and I feel the same way."

"So how about we put this all behind us and just be Dean and Arandi again. Have mind blowing makeup sex and then more mind blowing makeup sex and then well you get the idea."

"I can do that but one thing." She breathed. They had come this far in making up and Dean was all for putting everything behind them. She was sure she was about to lose a couple of hundred feet of footing once she spilled.

Dean though beat her to the punch as he brought up his hand, her ring bright and sparkling held up in front of her eyes. "How did you…?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"This is what I was trying to do for you when everything happened with Cassie." He took Arandi's hand and slipped the ring back on where it belonged. Kissed her knuckles one by one.

She stared at it for a moment. "So what happened?" She took his hand and put over her heart.

Dean chuckled and told her everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Not even on your birthday? Really?" Arandi snorted.

"Hey, when I don't have my head in the game I can't exactly come up with the best come backs." Dean defended.

"She was that mad?"

"Pissed to high hell but she wasn't the one I needed to appease."

"How much did you have to pay to get the ring back?"

"Not a dime. I got a hold of certain officer told him that I knew what he had done and that I wanted the ring back or I was squealing him out. I had no way to prove what he had done besides his name on the pawn ticket but the ring could have come from anywhere. He bought it though and he slipped it back to me at the bar. I'm pretty sure that he strong armed it back anyway so no loss there."

"Thank you."

"You never have to thank me for things like that. It's what I'm supposed to do." He leaned down and they kissed for a long time just slow and sweet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They stayed in the room for another day, just so that they could catch up on rest. Neither of them had pushed for sex. Not yet, it just didn't seem appropriate, it would feel like some kind of cover up, like sex was supposed to fix everything. It would feel like anything but makeup sex.

Neither of them wanted to feel like that. Love was love it wasn't about sex.

Plus when Arandi had seen that he had been banged up pretty good at the bar trying to get her out, she felt bad again and wanted nothing more than to take care of him.

Dean could always live with that. Arandi would make an amazing nurse.

They headed back home. Half way there they were caught in a major rain storm and were trying to find a motel to pull into until it passed.

As their luck would have it the Impala blew a tire and Dean got soaked to the bone changing it, even though he tried to work under a tarp.

Arandi wanted to help but he told her to stay in the car or else. She really didn't want to push things at the moment.

By the time they found a room he was trembling and his head felt as if was going to split in two. He'd never been taken down that fast by a cold. He felt miserable and right off being down from the ghoul hunt. He was sure that his body was still recovering from that.

Arandi had managed to get soaked just from going to the office and then making a mad dash for their room. The rain was coming down that hard.

She got them into a hot shower but he couldn't seem to shake the chill. Buried under piles of blankets and in all the warm clothes he had in his duffle and wrapped around Arandi he still couldn't shake the cold that filled his body.

Arandi gave him as much Nyquil as she could without pushing it and he was finally able to fall asleep although fitfully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was silence as he moved through the bright light of day through a town that seem completely deserted. Where was he? How had he gotten here? Where was Arandi?

There was a click and a thump. He followed the sound. He found a little boy trying to pull a stuffed bear out of the broken window of an old car.

"Hey careful there, you're going to cut yourself." Dean warned.

The boy backed away in fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Dean soothed.

"The world ended because of you." The boy said darkly.

Dean stepped forward and the boy began to scream.

Dean just wanted to calm him down and he stopped, his heart freezing in mid beat as he caught his reflection in the window of the car.

He stared at himself with solid yellow eyes and he began to scream too.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	18. ONCE UPON A LOVE SO TRUE

Warning for sexual content.

ONCE UPON A LOVE SO TRUE

Arandi paced the motel room nervously. She had made a mad dash to a nearby store to buy Dean every possible medicine that she could think of that might help him.

He was burning up with fever and he was getting to the point of delirium. He was seeing something that had him completely agitated.

She had nearly fallen on her ass when he had arched off the bed and started screaming. He had begun to scratch at his eyes and she had struggled with him until he had violently shoved her to the ground.

It was as if seeing her wincing on the floor had brought him around long enough for her to give him more medicine and get him to drink some Gatorade.

She didn't know what else to do. How could so much crap happen to them in such short time? What the hell? Really?

The next time Dean started thrashing she had had it. If she didn't get some rest she was going crash from exhaustion. She called Pastor Jim. He asked her where they were and within an hour even as the rain poured there was a knock at the door.

Arandi opened it carefully and a tall man that stirred her memory stood there.

"I'm Jefferson. You probably don't remember me. Jim sent me." He said and then proceeded to step into the room.

"You work with our dads?" Arandi asked.

"Yeah, used to visit you guys a lot but….you can put your gun away."

She brought it out from behind her back and shrugged. She did what she had to so sue her.

"You two sure have grown up. The last time I saw you both you were maybe eleven."

Without another word he started unpacking all kinds of things and started checking Dean over from head to toe. He furrowed his brows when he checked Dean's palms.

"What happened?"

Arandi had not noticed at all that Dean looked as if he had burned a line through the middle of his palms.

"He changed a tire before he started getting sick."

Jefferson mumbled to himself but quickly got up and headed to the bags that he'd brought with him.

Arandi watched as he began to mix things into a silver bowl, mumbling the entire time.

He grabbed a pot and filled it with water and set it on a burner on the stove of the tiny kitchenette. He then slowly added the mixture from the silver bowl.

Once the stuff was boiling he added some leaves and then he ran it all through a strainer, capturing only the liquid.

He passed a rosary over it and said more words. The dark liquid changed to a brilliant red.

"I'm going to need your help to get him to drink all of this. It doesn't exactly taste like hot chocolate."

"What is it?"

"Dean didn't just catch some cold. Someone had to put a spell on the tire iron he used. And that was a hell of risk because how long did they have to wait before Dean actually used it?"

"He likes to use it for his iron in ghost hunts." She said as she pondered just how many people got into the Impala's trunk.

She sat on the side of the bed and gently shook Dean. "Hey, baby, I need you to drink this for me ok. It's going to taste like crap but it will make you feel better. Eventually."

Dean scrunched his face like a little boy.

"If you drink it all….." Arandi leaned in and whispered in his ear.

Dean's fever dazed eyes fixed on the cup Jefferson held out. They helped him sit up enough to drink and even as he made faces and gagged he chugged every drop.

"Mind if I call you when I have to give this concoction to someone else?" Jefferson snickered.

"Mine." Dean growled his green eyes blazing.

Jefferson snickered. "I meant both of you. I'm sure women and probably some men wouldn't tell you no."

This time he met blazing blue eyes.

Jefferson laughed. "And so it was written in the stars that Winchester and Remington would unite and neither heaven nor hell, nor Jefferson would part them."

Arandi rolled her eyes. So people poked at her connection with Dean. Most thought they were lying when asked how long they had known each other. It didn't matter what anyone thought as long as they were together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jefferson gave the warning seconds before the exorcist made its appearance via Dean, that the drink would have some side effects.

Except it was anything but pea soup and Arandi was panicking somewhat that maybe Jefferson had killed Dean instead of saving him. No one could throw up so much dark liquid like that and not have repercussions. It reminded Arandi of the vampire cure but Dean retched and shook for what seemed like hours before he collapsed in a boneless heap his lips tinged with blood.

Arandi looked at Jefferson worriedly.

"You come to learn hopefully more from hearsay than experience, that most cures for evil spells are far from pretty or easy."

Between the two of them they got everything cleaned up and back in order.

Arandi could barely keep her eyes open.

"Get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

She didn't need much prodding.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean felt like he'd been tossed into a wood chipper and then set on fire after being doused with gas and struck by lightning.

Flashes of images shot through his mind as he fought to open his eyes. Nothing stayed in place long enough for him to grasp it. He did remember shoving Arandi hard enough to cause her pain. He forced his eyes open. He needed to make sure that she was ok.

"Dean, it's me Jefferson. Pastor Jim sent me to you and Arandi. She's sleeping soundly beside you and she's fine. I'll be here keeping watch. You rest."

"Jefferson?"

"Yeah, kiddo, it's me."

"You sure she's ok?"

"She's fine now that you're mending."

"Ok." Dean replied and quickly lost the battle with keeping his eyes open.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi sat up in a hurry the second she sensed that Dean wasn't next to her.

"He came around and wanted to shower." Jefferson offered where he stood at the table looking freshly showered himself.

The scent of hot food hit Arandi and her stomach gurgled with hunger. She wasn't even sure what day it was or how long they had been out.

"You go freshen up and I'll have everything ready by the time you both get out."

Dean was leaning tiredly under the spray of hot water when Arandi joined him. He turned to her and hugged her lying his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

"You have nothing to apologize for, you were sick end of story."

She took it upon herself to wash his hair and he sighed in contentment. She dried them off and Dean finally started to participate in the dressing part.

They stepped out of the bathroom to find the food waiting and Jefferson packed up.

"The room is paid for another couple of nights. You should use them. This is your lunch, pizza, pasta, and desert is going to be delivered around seven. All meals are covered for tomorrow too. There's beer and everything you can possibly need to get you through without having to leave the room. I double checked the entire Impala to make sure none of you get whammed again. Bobby's already got something lined up for me so I hope the next time we meet it's for better reasons." Jefferson smiled and started for the door. "Bobby also wanted me to tell you that he was going to find a damn way to ground you friggin' idjits and that you owed him two bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue."

"Jefferson, can I have a word with you?" Dean asked.

"Walk me out."

Arandi was sure Dean needed to pull any information out of the older hunter that he could. The way Dean's mind worked, even though it had been him that had gotten zapped, he would still fret over how it could have been her or Sam or even his mom.

She peeked out the window. Dean still tired was leaning against the Impala but talking a mile a minute.

Jefferson was nodding and rubbing his chin. Finally they shook hands and Dean started back towards the room and Jefferson got in his truck to leave.

She figured Dean would tell her what he'd asked but instead they talked about other things as they ate.

It slipped her mind just seeing him feeling better and smiling at her the way she would never not fall in love over and over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A couple of days later they were back in Texas when Dean pulled into a hotel.

Arandi wondered if maybe he wasn't feeling well again because he had been awfully quiet on the road and had made double the pit stops they usually did.

The hotel he had chosen was really nice and expensive looking and right next to the beach.

"Dean, we could be home in a few hours, what's up?" She pressed.

"I know you like the beach and we haven't been since we were like fifteen. I thought we could have a nice night before heading back to our lives."

Arandi smiled. Dean was being romantic and it made her heart flutter. She gently pushed him back against the Impala and kissed him. Only needing to breathe pulled them apart.

Dean pulled out his wallet and passed her a credit card. "I see a boutique over there so why don't you buy yourself a nice dress and all the things to go with it. I want to take you somewhere special. Put up your hair the way I like." He kissed the pulse of her neck and she shivered. "I'll do a lot of that too." He breathed into her skin as he nuzzled her neck. "Now go shop and I'll get us checked into a room."

They kissed again and Arandi sauntered away. Shopping she could do with little urging. She could feel Dean's eyes on her and she turned to look him and her chest felt funny.

His bright green eyes were looking at her in such a way that it actually made her lightheaded. His bottom lip caught in his teeth sunlight hitting him in a way that made him look ethereal. She just had to stop and stare and let her heart thunder in her chest with the love she felt for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean watched her walk away. His breath held in his lungs as he bit his lip. Yeah things had gotten a bit hairy but he loved her and could never imagine that he could love someone else that intensely. Never imagine a day without looking into those blue eyes and falling in love again.

When she stopped to look back at him, his heart lurched. Her sparkling blue eyes full of adoration that sometimes was just a bit overwhelming. His death would come instantly if that look ever faded.

The smile that always left him dizzy. His smile, his love, his everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

While she had shopped someone from the hotel had brought her a key card to their room. Dean had thought of everything.

The boutique clerk had nearly screeched with delight when she had heard Arandi's name. It was clear that she had been expecting Arandi.

Arandi couldn't help but mutter Christo. That passed quickly as the clerk brought out 'special' on sale dresses that were just gorgeous and frilly. Curiously all of them were white.

Apparently Dean tended to forget that she was a hunter too. Now all the pit stops made sense.

"Which one did he pick?" She asked the clerk.

The clerk went an incredible shade of red. She then pointed to the dress she probably would have chosen anyway.

"Let's save some time and just give it all to me." Arandi laughed. She couldn't disappoint him but she didn't have to play along entirely either.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The room when she found it was gorgeous and had a huge heart shaped bed that she really thought were just in the movies and sappy romance novels. The balcony doors opened to the beach and the sound of the waves were peaceful.

Dean though was nowhere to be found. So she called him.

"I thought you would be longer." He answered.

"Knew what I wanted the minute I set eyes on him….I mean it." Arandi breathed.

"Should I be worried?"

"Should I?"

"I intend to make this a one of kind night so take a bubble bath in those bubbles that make you smell like heaven, put on that dress, those heels and all the bells and whistles. When you get downstairs there will be someone to bring you to me."

Arandi's heart skipped. She could only imagine how much more romantic he could get as he got older.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She looked at herself in the mirror as she put the finishing touches on her hair. Her hands shook slightly. She suddenly felt as if she going on her first date. Had they ever really had one? Growing up together and seeing each every day kind of blurred that line.

She was pretty damn sure that Dean would always make her feel giddy. She was never really the full on makeup type but she added a slight touch of eye shadow and liner to accent her eyes that Dean claimed were soul snatchers.

She suddenly couldn't wait to be with him. She took one finally spin and rushed out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She was led out to a horse and carriage completely covered in red roses and even the horses were draped in them. A man helped her into the carriage before taking his place at the reins and they rode away. The night was absolutely beautiful. Large bright moon and twinkling stars above.

The waves of the nearby ocean soft and beckoning almost like a melody. Arandi was trembling with anticipation. Dean had really gone all out for a special night.

They reached the destination and Arandi was helped from the carriage by two other gentlemen who waited by the start of a trail of rose petals with added glitter. Torches lit the way as Arandi made her way down the path and when she turned under an arc she froze.

Dean stood at the end of the spray of petals in a tuxedo that perfectly matched her dress. Her heart beat so hard it ached. He was beautiful. Her legs felt weak when he broke out her smile. He was absolutely beautiful. God like if you will, please don't let her be struck by lightning, but damn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had never been so nervous in his life. When he had awakened from whatever spell had been thrown at him from the tire iron, after Arandi had coaxed him into drinking that garbage swill to cure him. It was as if his senses had tripled for just that moment and he saw Arandi's tired worried face and he knew, he just knew what he had to do.

When Jefferson had gotten ready to leave, Dean had implored him to help him get the ball rolling and with the extra day they had to rest Jefferson, Bobby, Jim, and Caleb had outdone themselves really.

He had been so nervous and didn't want to give a thing away and Arandi wasn't stupid. Still he hoped he could manage to swing the surprise card.

He stood at the end of the trail of petals and waited. He would never forget how awesome his honorary uncles were in any given situation not just hunting.

He heard the snort of the horses announcing the arrival of his lady and he straightened up. His heart was trying to escape his chest and then she stepped into the moon beams that seemed to have just been told to shine where she stood.

He lost his breath. She was so beautiful it made him ache. He smiled wide and she blinked as her own smile spread across her face.

Love. It was all that was in that moment permeating the air. Filling every sense. She moved towards him and when she reached him Dean took her hands in his and they locked eyes.

"At least pretend it's a surprise ok." He said.

"I'm surprised."

"You will be."

"Really? You are so intriguing."

"And you are so beautiful…" Oh he wanted to kiss her so badly but first.

"You know after this night you're setting a pretty high standard to outdo."

"After tonight I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. That's if you agree with me."

Arandi raised an eyebrow. "Agree to what?"

Music began to play and Pastor Jim stepped forward. She looked around confused and back at Dean who now held out two rings in his palm.

She looked from them to him. "How did you…? She whispered. He had the rings she had had her heart set on ever since she had laid eyes on them years ago in a magazine.

"Will you?" He asked again his eyes sparkling.

"Yes." She breathed. So what if Dean had managed to pull an even bigger surprise than she expected. He was all she ever wanted till her last breath anyway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was one of those moments where they wanted to remember everything but their minds were failing to retain a thing. They were way too lost in each other.

Luckily someone had had the presence of mind to video everything.

They were getting married. It was what they had always planned but being there in the moment was unbelievably grandiose.

They were so lost in each other as they exchanged the vows that came from their hearts. The words of love, hope, and commitment slipped so easily from their mouth.

They couldn't remember a word of it for reasons but the video would help that at some point.

The moment Jim pronounced them man and wife, their lips met and though they had kissed countless times, it felt so electric and new. Their first kiss as a married couple.

Jim passed blessings over them and told them that if their parents blew a gasket they were on their own.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were taken by the same carriage back to the hotel. They held hands, kissed, and watched the roll of the ocean.

Back in their room, champagne and dinner waited for them on the balcony. Everything alit with just the moon and candles everywhere.

"Our moms are going to flip." Arandi said before taking the cut of filet mignon into her mouth.

"They can still have their 'planned for a lifetime' wedding. I just wanted this for us now. I didn't want to wait anymore. The way our lives are."

Arandi got the gist and set her fork down. "You think it'll be easier to be a widow or widower instead of just brutally alone?"

"Yeah, something like that I guess." Dean sighed. "Look it's our wedding night, no dark moments."

Arandi smiled softly. "No dark moments."

They ate. Danced to slow music. Drank champagne.

Dean leaned in to kiss her neck and bite at her pulse. She shivered against him. "Don't ever doubt how much I love you." He breathed into her ear.

"Only if you do the same."

He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Every part of them that could be was entwined together. They kissed and moaned in passion, covered in a sheen of sweat as the moved together in perfect motion.

There was no rush, just the need to feel the heat slowly and all-consuming move through their entire bodies over and over.

Gentle rocking that still brought lava crashing through them. So much need, want, and love.

Their names a mantra between kissed bruised lips and scorching feel of each other's skin grinding to create more bliss. Each pant and gasp an accentuation of deep desire that for this night just wasn't enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first signs of the sun rising made itself known as Dean opened his eyes.

He was bewildered for just a moment before he remembered that Arandi was now his wife and he was her husband.

A thrill rolled through him anew.

She lay beside him on her stomach barely covered with the sheet of the bed that was as debauched as they were. He kissed her shoulder and ran his hand down her back soothingly.

The moan she let out had him hard in an instant. She turned over slowly her eyes already dark and filled with desire and Dean was lost.

He bit his lip so hard he tasted the copper of blood and let out his own moan.

He got onto his knees and she followed taking his lips like she was starving for him. It was intoxicating. His hands took her hips as she wrapped herself around him and sank to the hilt on his already leaking cock.

"Fu….ck." He breathed. His hands moved lower, hefting luscious ass so that he could set the pace they needed. He bit into her throat and her nails slid down his back as she moaned loud and lewd.

What gentle love making had been theirs during the night was now replaced by animalistic need to extinguish the still burning inferno deep inside them.

The way she moved her body made him dizzy. He threw his head back so that she could bite his neck and mark him. Fuck he needed to feel it, he needed to feel so much. His hands slid over her and she was making those needy sounds he craved, she was close.

He wrapped a hand in her hair and pulled her head back so that he could watch her face. He moved into her as he held her firm with his other arm. Twist and in and curve and twist and her eyes rolled.

"Dean, Dean, Dean." She panted. The way her body shook against him as ecstasy took her over. He would never get tired of being the one to do that to her.

He ate up every sound, every shiver, every etch of her face as bliss thundered through her. He smiled wickedly. He was far from done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Absolute gibberish spilled from his mouth when the freight train of built up ecstasy finally broke through. His breath caught, his eyes rolled, and his body seized. He had no idea how he had anything left to give but it was there hot blinding bliss making him brain dead.

How in the hell had they ended up on the sofa?

Oh yeah, when they had attempted to have breakfast and a couple of haste kisses had to led to another thundering round of honeymoon sex. He was pretty sure they had broken the record for most orgasms in one night.

He smiled crookedly leaning back against the arm rest and pulled her over him.

"I feel bad for housekeeping."

Arandi wrinkled her nose. "I'm sure they have dealt with worse. We'll just leave them a huge tip."

"That we can do."

She sighed against his chest.

His cock twitched.

"Seriously?"

He shrugged and tried to look as innocent as he could. "You complaining?"

She smiled in a way that made him shudder head to toe. Yeah he could so do more than one honeymoon in his lifetime as long as it was Arandi he married every single time.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	19. LIFE'S LESSONS

Warning for sexual content. Kinky sex.

LIFE'S LESSONS

Dean and Arandi stayed one more night at the beachside hotel. They were treated like celebrities. Apparently the uncles had tipped well already.

They did a bit of shopping and then headed home. Dean drove as usual. His mind rambling away.

"You smile any bigger and your face is going to break." Arandi startled him.

"I have a lot to smile about." He replied. His voice was rough and gravely still trying to recover.

"So can we talk about it now?"

He turned to look at her one brow quirked.

"The spell on the tire iron, Dean. You haven't even so much as mentioned it and how horribly ill you got. I know you probably don't want to think about it but let's face it someone did this to you and that someone had access to the Impala."

The smile faltered from Dean's face. His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "I know who did it, I just want to handle it myself."

He could feel Arandi staring at him.

"I bought a new set of tires because Hector gave me a discount. I had the trunk of the Impala opened so that I could load up the spare and when I came back Danny was leaning into the trunk. I didn't really think anything of it because he started asking me about the car and you know how I get about her."

"I'm sorry."

Dean shrugged. "You know how our parents are always telling us not to trust anyone. I hate that. I hate that people I think are friends…."

"Yeah, I know."

They rode in silence for a bit. Dean had no idea how he was even going to begin to face Danny without punching his lights out first. What if Arandi had touched the tire iron before him or Sam or anyone else in his family? The way he had felt had been anything but a picnic.

"Hey, take some backroads." Arandi murmured sliding up beside him. She hadn't meant to push him into a funk. That came at least on the second week of marriage.

Dean shuddered as he felt her hands working his belt and fly open. He turned down the first backroads he found. He'd figure out how to get home later.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later it would have to be because an hour later they were still on the backroad pulled over and Dean was buried balls deep in Arandi. Her jeans bunched around her calves and she was bent against the Impala's trunk.

Dean breathed hard doing all the work but fuck if he cared. Her plump heart shaped ass taking him so beautifully.

He kneaded her cheeks firmly and out in the bright light of day they were like a fucking taunt.

Without a thought he pulled out of her and leaned in taking a firm bite on her right cheek and he gave the other a resounding smack.

Arandi cried out arching and for a minute Dean thought that he had hurt her but then he realized he had made her go straight into orgasmic bliss.

His brain fizzled and he grabbed himself and slid between her cheeks and barely gave one thrust before his body went stiff in his own pleasure ride. Her back streaked with his release.

He pulled her up and kissed her until oxygen became a serious issue.

They cleaned up in silence and then got back on the road.

Dean handled the silence for about twenty minutes. "Did I overstep?"

"No, I'm just kind of trying to get the grasp on how kinky that was and how much I liked it." She murmured almost shyly. "Does it weird you out?"

Dean grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch. "What do you think?" He said huskily having gone instantly hard just from the fresh memory. "That was seriously fucking hot."

"Huh, looks like we gotta a lot of experimenting to do."

Dean groaned loudly as he squirmed in his seat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They got back home as the sun was setting. They stopped in town to eat dinner.

Mindy the waitress at Barney's and also Hector's sister, handed them menus and began to ramble. "I'm glad you're back, Dean. Hector is backed up with being shorthanded."

"Shorthanded?" Dean could tell that Mindy was dying to spill.

"Yeah, Danny disappeared about two days after you left and they found him dead in a motel, apparent suicide. Housekeeper that found him said the room smelled like rotten eggs."

The hair on Dean's neck stood up as he locked eyes with Arandi.

Danny had been possessed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had two days until everyone else returned and the quiet that should have been soothing was actually unnerving.

Dean had called Hector but Hector told him not to come in until Wednesday that way he would actually have a challenge. Besides everyone who was waiting on their cars knew what had happened and expected a slight delay. He was thrilled to hear that Dean had taken the plunge, had known from the start that Dean and Arandi were soul mates to outdo all soul mates.

Of course Dean took pride in the fact that Hector gave his skills so much credit and he knew exactly who he belonged with through sickness and health, richer or poorer, and he dared death to try to part them.

Bobby had worked his way through every repair he could find in the houses and on the properies. He had even made some touches to the tree house.

"Someday your kids will be in there growing too damn fast." He groused.

He also gave them a wedding gift and he laughed. "Just give me time to get some popcorn and a sixer for the fireworks when you tell your parents."

Dean snickered and pulled Arandi into a hug. "What's done is done."

"I'm sure they'll love to hear about those skeeters that sucked on you too."

Dean blushed then and he knew Arandi was too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The parents were barely out of the cars when Mary stopped cold. "You got married?" She accused with squinted eyes.

Dean looked wide eyed at Arandi.

"I'm a woman. I get blinded by those diamonds sparkling in the sun and I'm not supposed to figure it out?"

Beth now leaned with Mary shoulder to shoulder. Her eyes just as squinty and accusing.

Dean gulped and was pretty sure that he would rather take on monsters instead because at least they could be vanquished.

"You can do whatever you want with the other wedding." Dean caved. "We just didn't want to wait anymore." He didn't dare add why though he was sure they would figure that out as well.

"Saying whatever to your mother's is about as sane as kissing a rabid dog." John snickered.

Mary's glare fell on him. "Did you just compare me to a rabid dog?"

John fish mouthed. "I was just….Mary…." He looked at Johnathan.

"Hey, I'm glad their married at least now those skeeter bites won't get under my skin as much." He ran for safety.

Dean and Arandi were left flushed again.

"Hey dad, looks like the tree house will be more comfortable this time." Sam chuckled as he headed into the house. Never not enjoying the moments when his father got what was coming to him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

All was forgiven by the end of the day. They barbequed and watched the video of the wedding.

There were tears and hugs and plenty of 'you just wait for the real wedding'. Planning for grandkids moving to the forefront.

Dean was ready. He would marry Arandi every day and once in every state as long as that was what she wanted. He smiled huge. The honeymoons would so make everything worth it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat on the patio alone drinking a beer while Arandi helped out with dinner with their moms. He already had a couple more days off because in three days he'd caught up the entire garage.

The dads were working a bit of overtime.

Sam was talking to Jade about to head to join his brother and Dean stared. A fond smile spreading across his face.

He remembered chubby little Sammy, face smeared with grape jelly wanting big brother to carry him.

He remembered the one day they were bored because Arandi and Jade had dentist appointments so they had dressed up like Superman and Batman and Batman forgot that he couldn't fly. Sam had started to fall off the treehouse and Dean grabbed him but the pull was too strong. Even at nine Dean knew nothing but protecting Sammy and had made sure that he hit the ground first and Sam landed on top of him.

Dean had been knocked cold and he woke to Sammy in hyperventilating panic that he had killed his brother.

He remembered Sam's first steps, first words, the excitement of his first kiss.

"Dean, you alright." Sam asked worriedly.

Dean smiled. "Yeah, just got lost in thought." Baby Sammy now slowly but surely edging past Dean in height. He sighed deeply. He was only four years older but it still made him feel old.

Sam sat down beside him. He twisted his fingers nervously.

Dean chuckled. He noticed the tiniest sneak of bruised skin under Sam's collar.

"Don't rush anything, dude. You guys are young. Just explore get to know what feels good and always, always make sure she's comfortable with it all and that she's smiling when it's over."

Sam was completely red. "How did you….?"

"Damn skeeters." Dean grinned swiping at his neck dramatically.

They both laughed until it hurt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi decided that telling their parents everything was for the best even though they had just been forgiven for the wedding.

Well almost everything. They didn't go into the details of the bar and Cassie. Just about the spell and Danny mostly.

"It doesn't make sense to me." Sam said, brows furrowed. "Why is this demon or whatever mad dogging Dean? I get that it wants Dean out of the way because he protects me but so do all of you."

"He has a point." Jade added.

"What bothers me is that it's like Dean is being targeted so often, like a taunt on us." John huffed.

"Maybe it wants Dean." Bobby chimed in.

All eyes turned to him.

He shrugged. "I'm just sayin'. Signs ok? You four meet on the side of the road on the very day that both moms go into labor in what was called the freakiest snow storm to ever hit Texas. Both kids born at the exact same time which if I really have to point out to all you 'hunters' was the freaking witching hour. Same thing happens four years later with your other set of children, in a thunderstorm to rival all thunderstorms."

"What are saying?"

"Call me an old fool but I think all of this wonder bunch is being targeted and not by the same things. The visions, the healing, the extreme, even dare I say codependent, connection they have."

"I'm not codependent." Dean scoffed.

"So it's alright if Arandi goes to Paris for the summer with Jade? Sam can go off to space camp?" Bobby asked slyly.

Dean eyes widened. "What? Paris? Space camp?" He grimaced when he realized he had Arandi's arm clutched.

Sam was pale and open mouthed.

"Idjits." Bobby muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't understand why you barely mentioned these things, Bobby." Dean pried as he and Sam walked him to his car later the same night.

Bobby sighed and faced the brothers. "I've been piecing things together for long time. You boys and them girls, well you're like my own and I will protect you to my last dyin' breath. Besides your momma has enough to deal being married to that thick headed dad of yours."

"We know that, Bobby." The Winchester brothers said in sync.

"I've been hunting a long time and when you do this crap long enough you pick up things and sense stuff. When Jefferson told me how bad that spell had been, well Spider Man has nothin' on me."

The brothers chuckled.

"There's a storm comin' boys and you are all gonna be caught smack dab in the middle of it."

Dean and Sam exchanged glances. Somehow they could feel it too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a one of a kind excursion when the entire Winchester and Remington family took upon themselves to put up wards at Simon's Garage and the library.

It wasn't very hard since Dean and Arandi both had keys and knew the passwords for the alarms.

With the entire family in tow they were done in a couple of hours.

Dean and Arandi had visited Danny's girlfriend and gave their condolences then did their prying trying to be under the radar. Try to find out just how long Danny had been possessed.

The devil's trap that Dean had put on the ceiling of the garage had been broken because of all the coming and goings. He had never really noticed any change in Danny and he could kick himself for it but he tended to zone out a bit when he was under a hood.

His dad was probably going to give him a lecture for his lack of alertness. Of all people he should be the one to understand that there had to be a time to get their mind away from the evil of the world.

Sally was relieved to just have someone to talk and told them everything. "He started acting weird about three weeks before he disappeared. Danny was always a sweet guy, took a lot to piss him off but all of sudden everything annoyed him and he got rougher with me if you know what I mean. He loved my cooking and all of sudden everything was too salty. Our cat loved him and wouldn't go near him anymore and he disappeared too. I tried to tell his parents but they just thought that he was trying to break up with me. They never really liked me."

Arandi talked with her a bit longer while Dean pretended to go to the bathroom and probe around. He didn't find anything helpful and it only irritated him more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi stood back against the bar of their apartment arms crossed against her chest, calmly watching as Dean flipped out.

John had given the expected lecture and then some. Dean of course felt even more responsible for Danny's death.

Which made Arandi really, really want to take John apart for doing this to his son but she was still considered a kid in his eyes.

"You know as well as I do, Dean, that we can't save everyone."

She couldn't help but jump when Dean slammed his fist through the wall.

"I know that! I wasn't looking for the signs and this could have been prevented! I can't handle it if I lose you or Sam or anyone in our family because I was distracted!"

And there it was. Arandi sighed. "If you haven't noticed our family aren't some civilians that aren't aware of what's out there." If any of us go down it means that way more than only you were distracted."

Dean was suddenly in her face. "Yeah how did that go for us in Missouri?"

Low blow but ok. It wasn't like she wasn't an expert at defusing the nuclear bomb of Dean.

His eyes were dark green embers of anger as he stared down at her.

"I killed a human because of you." He spat out through gritted teeth.

"You said he was supplying the ghouls' victims." Arandi pressed. She was the only one that he could take his frustration out on.

Dean let out an empty laugh. "I tried to make myself believe that but I killed him because he touched you. I killed him because I couldn't stop thinking of what he might have done to you while you were unconscious, the fucking filthy thoughts that were going through his head."

Arandi was speechless. She was glad she had never told him that he touched her in the van. Lying. Great way to start a marriage right?

He continued. "Seeing the light leave his eyes was like a balm. He'd never hurt you again….or anyone else. He'd never touch you again." He ran his hand up her arm, his eyes still locked on hers. "And I'll do it again because we belong to one another. I'll rip out their throat and lay it at your feet."

Arandi had no idea what had snapped in Dean to bring this all up again. She knew what he meant though, she couldn't stand there and deny that the thought of walking over to Dean when Cassie had kissed him and ripping her throat out with her bare hands, which she could do, part of her training and all that, hadn't crossed her mind. Hell she had taken a couple of steps forward until Dean saw her there and she had seen the disinterest in his eyes suddenly replaced with the panic of her having seen.

She had seen Dean pull weeds with more heat than that. Still the fact that Cassie had dared touched him, the intent behind it. Bitch didn't know how close she had been to that being her final night on earth.

"I killed for you and it scares me." Dean breathed hotly in her ear.

"You can control it. I know you can."

"Can I? Do I want to? That bastard deserved to die like a stray dog but someone is always looking at you like….like…they have the right. I know you feel the same."

Arandi nodded immediately. "We'll work it out, baby, like everything. We're not going to become some jealousy obsessed serial killers because we love each other too much."

"Is there such a thing? Too much love?" He asked in a hot whisper into her neck.

She couldn't help the moan that slipped through her parted lips. He replied in kind.

She gasped and arched towards him as he ripped her t-shirt from her body like a wet napkin.

He kissed down her neck and kept going. He dropped to his knees, laid his head against her stomach and he held her tight.

She held him until he soared to his feet the wicked intent in his lust filled eyes. She whipped his shirt off in one swift motion and he moved in fast lifting her up by her butt cheeks and kissing her like he was starving for it.

She wrapped her legs around him and he easily moved them to the bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had had rough sex before. When young and turned by a breath it's inevitable. This though was a whole new level of 'yes fuck yes again'.

Arandi gasped as the pleasure literally plowed through her even as Dean thrust so hard her head smacked into the headboard hard enough for her to see sparks.

He didn't stop though, only took the seconds to smash a pillow in the way and kept going like his very life depended on it and Arandi like always was there to make sure he made it through the storm.

He roughly pulled out and turned her over like she weighed nothing bending her to his liking and was in her thrusting even harder if that was at all possible.

One hand bruising on her hip, the other using the headboard for leverage.

He bit into her back and shoulders and followed the trail with his tongue.

Her eyes flew open and she cried out his name when his hand came down on her ass so hard it was going to leave a mark and she rushed head first into complete bliss.

She had no idea how that was such a turn on for her but it was and she nearly blacked out as she rode the wondrous orgasmic wave as he smacked her again and again.

She collapsed onto her stomach. Breathing hard, her vision white, a roaring in her ears. The aftershocks of pleasure making her body jerk.

He was on his knees. He lifted her lax body to straddle his lap his dick still hard and leaking. "I need you. I need to feel you." He growled into her neck.

She instantly started biting his neck and down.

His body arched. A litany of, "Please, yes please, more." Dripping from his kiss swollen lips. He lifted her and she sank on him, pleasure instantly rippling through her. "Please, Arandi baby, please."

She shuddered. Those words were a fire blazing through her. She raked her nails down his back and a beautifully broken moan pushed from him.

"More." He begged as they fell back onto the bed.

She did the best she could from that position and gave him as good as he had given her.

Dean gasped. Breath pulled from his lungs and she it did again on the other side. "Fu….ck."

One more solid smack and he was gone. The orgasm literally ripped from him. He was sure his dick was damaged but he didn't care as wave after wave of pleasure shot through him from bottom to top and back again.

Arandi shook beneath him right there with him. He couldn't move, barely catching his breath, his brain a complete puddle. He was too young for a heart attack right? The aftershocks were still working through him when he fell into nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had waited for a few minutes to see if Dean would roll off of her but he was completely out of it.

She smiled. Good he needed it and she felt good to have done that for him. Something beside his dad had set Dean off. She didn't mind the earth quaking sex but she did mind his being so upset.

She was beginning to have a bit of trouble breathing so she shifted and rolled Dean onto his back. She was glad she worked out because he wasn't exactly light weight.

The movement though made her hiss. They were going to be feeling this round for a couple of days.

Dean murmured in his sleep. "I'll die first."

Arandi stared at him. Dean didn't often talk in his sleep but when he did it was always something that had happened fresh in his mind.

She tried to ponder it but her body lax with post orgasmic sleepiness dragged her down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke first. His body instantly full of aches in muscles that he forgot he had and oh yeah his ass.

Who knew that they would both be such kinky bastards?

Arandi was all akimbo on the king sized bed. And for a second Dean had a flash of what had really set him off.

He slipped from the bed and headed to the shower. They had been asleep for nearly two hours and they were supposed to meet their parents for dinner at Barney's.

Dean huffed as he stepped under the stream of water. He didn't feel like seeing his dad so soon after 'the lecture'. The man acted like he had never made a mistake in his entire life.

Still it was ingrained in him from childhood to do the 'sir, yes, sir.'

Sam coming into the room and telling their dad to go get a clue hadn't helped at all.

He found it quite ironic that Sam the rebellious one was the one dad doted on and the one that was 'the perfect little soldier', Sam's term not his, was never doing anything right.

They started shouting at one another and Dean was suddenly forgotten. So he had stormed out. Going out the front door and having to get around the house to get to the apartment. He just wanted out.

He barely turned the corner of the wrap around porch when he was blindsided by head splitting pain in his brain. He didn't even remember hitting his knees.

His vision filled with a scene. Back in Missouri. The man that he had killed and everything that had been going through his mind. Dean had no idea if it was real or not but he was filled with rage at all the extra horror that Arandi might have had to endure because he had been distracted for a few seconds too long.

"You're responsible for a lot more than just yourself." His dad's voice ground into his aching head.

"Well, no fucking shit." Dean had wanted to say but all that came out was. "Yes, sir."

He pushed himself back onto his ass and back against the wall of the house. He could hear slamming doors.

Arandi's dead violated body in his arms and then it was all gone.

He blinked and the pain in his head receded to bearable but the image made him hurl.

He sat there in the shade of the house and trees until he pushed himself to his feet and then everything else had happened. He had needed to feel Arandi, really feel her to push that image from his mind.

It wasn't lost on him that he had seen her dead more than once in his mind's eye.

He hadn't meant to be so rough or sound like a psychotic jealous husband but he couldn't stop himself. Arandi had been at his side since birth. If anything happened to her especially because of him…there were no words for that horror. No words for what it would make him into.

She was there in his arms under the spray of water looking up at him with a contended smile.

"I could hear you thinking all the way in there."

"Sorry…..about everything." He mumbled. He could see his handprint bruised into her.

"When I don't like something, Mr. Winchester, you will be the first one to painfully know."

"I'm supposed to protect you not hurt you." He went on.

"Since when are orgasms hurting me?" She insisted. "Besides it was far from one sided." She slipped her hand over her own handprint not quite as pronounced but still there and the other snug over his cock.

Dean let his head fall back a slight thunk against the tile wall. His cock already filling fast and ready. And apparently his brain hadn't quite completely booted up.

"I don't want you to hunt anymore."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	20. LET THE WORLD TURN

Sorry for the short chapter. I wanted to get something out even though it has been the week from hell.

LET THE WORLD TURN

"Note to self. Never tell Arandi she can't do something when she's got my dick in her hand." Dean muttered to himself as he tried to straighten up from where he had been doubled over. Still under the spray of now cold water.

One hell of a way to find out where she stood on the matter. As if he hadn't known already. It was just the things he'd been seeing and feeling lately. He could plead insanity but that would only be half true.

He could hear doors and drawers being slammed and Arandi mumbling angrily.

He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist gingerly. He stepped into the bedroom still a bit hunched but ready for anything. After all he had been the one to poke the panther.

"You of all people!" She started in on him as if he had been there the entire time. She was already dressed pacing with determination. "Is that why you wanted to get married sooner than later? Huh? So you could try to mold me into Suzy Homemaker, barefoot and pregnant? Is that what you wanted? Well, is it?" She yelled.

"Arandi, please calm down. Look my dad made me all kinds of confused and then Sam made things worse and I said the wrong things. I worry about you and I love you, I want you to be safe. I can't tell you what to do. I can make suggestions and point things out….."

She stared at him.

"Fuck, Arandi, a marriage is a compromise. You can't tell me that you don't want a different life than our lives always being in danger."

"It's all we know." She stated. "Our parents did fine."

"Oh peachy, that's why we have a fucking demon on our ass and they hardly have a moment of peace." Now he was the one pacing throwing on clothes as he slammed drawers and doors.

"I won't stop until you do." She said evenly and walked out of the bedroom with another door slam.

Dean stared at the door. "Alrighty then. This day can't possibly get any worse." He muttered. He reached for his running shoes since had already thrown on his running clothes. He would go for run that always helped him clear his head.

He grabbed his cell phone, his trusty hunting knife, and started out of the room. He was going to call his mom and tell her they couldn't make it to the dinner. PMS or whatever but he heard Arandi talking to her mom telling her they weren't going to make it.

She was in the kitchen. Probably going to bake a dozen pies, cakes, bread, and cookies because that was what Arandi did when she was upset.

He was going to gain a hundred pounds so hey the running would kill two birds with one stone. That was if she let him near any of it.

"I'm going for a run." He said and walked out not waiting for a reply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was in the middle of cracking eggs into a bowl when Dean called out that he was going for a run. His voice terse and edgy.

He was gone before she could respond. Not that she was going to say anything. They mostly ran together and when they did venture out on their own it was always with an 'I love you, be careful' tacked on with much meaning.

She whispered it to the air anyway. She was pissed off at him not out of love with him. She had already hurt his manhood quite literally. She hadn't meant to do that. It had just been a reaction to his words.

She stirred and mixed. Ran all the words through her mind. Maybe she had over reacted. He loved her, worried about her, freaking doted on her so a little possessiveness was to be expected.

"How would you feel if he just stopped caring?" She said out loud. She wouldn't like it all. If the way he looked at her ever changed she wasn't sure how she would handle it.

She started cutting apples. Pulling the containers of blue berries and cherries from the fridge. He was going to have so much homemade pie.

Her mind wouldn't settle and in frustration she tossed an apple in the air followed by the butcher knife on the counter. The knife embedded into the wall straight through the middle of the apple.

She humphed. Dean loved when she did shit like that. Now he had two holes to patch up.

By the time she had the pies cooling on a rack she realized Dean hadn't come back yet. He usually only ran about five miles and turned back.

He had had plenty of time to do that. He was mad so he was probably walking back. Maybe contemplating an annulment from his psychotic wife.

She bit the inside of her cheek debating whether to call him or not. Maybe if he knew that she had cooled down he'd do the same. She would make some sandwiches and they could eat warm pie ala mode.

Screw it. She caved and picked up her phone and hit his number on speed dial.

His ring tone sounded outside. She could hear it from the window she had opened to let out some of the heat of the oven.

She walked to the door and looked out on the patio expecting to see Dean sitting on either the chairs or on the steps.

Nothing. So she stepped out onto the patio. She gasped and dropped her phone when she saw Dean lying unmoving at the bottom of the stairs.

She rushed down to him. He was on his back, legs askew, one arm over his stomach the other outstretched. Blood trickling from his nose.

"Dean? Dean? Hey, hey, love, can you hear me." She could see that he was breathing. Her gut twisted with guilt. She had been baking pies while Dean laid hurt just outside the door.

She reached for Dean's phone with trembling hands to call 911.

"No hos…no…hos….pi." Dean stammered fighting to get his eyes open.

"Dean, you might have internal injuries."

"Did…didn't…fall…..do…..down stairs. Help me inside please." He finally seemed to gather his wits.

It took a few stops and starts but they finally made it into the apartment.

Arandi settled him onto the couch then she ran to grab some water and a wet washcloth.

"What happened?" She asked him as she helped him drink the water and clean the blood from his face.

He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. I got to the bottom of the stairs and was trying to find the song that I wanted to hear and suddenly I heard a loud piercing noise slam into my head and then everything faded."

"That's not normal. If you had just come back from running I might get it but you just passing out something is wrong." Arandi wrung her hands.

"It was a very long day." Dean breathed.

She looked at him making sure he wasn't hiding anything. "If it happens again. I will get your mom to help me drag you to the hospital."

He chuckled slightly but winced at the ache in his head. "Yes, ma'am."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He had told her the truth although he never did tell her about the earlier episode on the porch. All was forgiven apparently because now she was doting on him, not letting him do anything getting him into night clothes. Icing his sore neck, letting him watch whatever he wanted on TV. Stuffing him full of sandwiches, pie, and ice cream.

When they finally got ready for bed. He still felt a dull ache in the center of his head. "I'm sorry." He yawned. He wanted to say more but the pull of exhaustion was too strong.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi gasped as she fell to floor shoved hard by Dean. "What the….." She began and then Dean was straddling her one hand closing around her throat fiercely. She struggled hard but Dean's strength was inhuman.

"Dean…" She tried in a high squeak and he glared at her.

"Shut the fuck up!" He growled and her vision swam as he back handed her hard. His voice was unrecognizable and for the first time in her life she was afraid of him.

She was trained to fight. Trained to get out of holds like this but she was frozen. Like she was being held by something other than just Dean's body.

Her heart thudded in her chest as Dean squeezed a bit harder and he leaned in. "He's going to be your death, you stupid bitch."

She was looking into yellow eyes. "You're not Dean."

"Oh, give the little lady a stuffed bear. She's quick on the uptake." He lifted her up and she could see Dean, her Dean, sound asleep on the bed.

"You can't be in here." She wheezed. Her vision graying along the edges. Suddenly she could breathe again. She scrambled to her feet.

The yellow eyed Dean now stood over her Dean a huge dagger at his throat, a wickedly evil smile spread across its face. "Or maybe you're going to be his death."

Arandi dove at it but all she saw was the spray of blood as the yellow eyed Dean slit her Dean's throat. The blood splattered against her and the walls and ceiling. His green eyes opened in shock and lost their light fast.

She tried to get to him but she couldn't move. The sick laughter made her stomach lurch. The heavy smell of blood curdling the air. She screamed and couldn't stop.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	21. KNOCK KNOCK

KNOCK KNOCK

"Arandi!" Dean fell off the bed from her screams waking him and he scrambled to where she was huddled in the corner of their bedroom screaming her head off still. Her eyes wide with fear.

He looked around frantically to see what danger she was seeing because it took a lot to scare her. He hit one of the many hidden panels that he had built into the walls for weapons. Call him paranoid but better safe than oops I'm dead.

He hit a panic button next. Another one of his ideas so that he could alert everyone else and the other way around in case of surprise attack.

It was just a matter of a moments before the front door was crashing in and John and Jonathan with wives at their heels and guns at a ready came rushing in to fight whatever. Half asleep but alert enough to do some damage.

Only there was nothing there. Nothing visible. Only Arandi's nonstop screaming and Dean huddled protectively over her.

The men searched everywhere while Beth and Mary tried to bring Arandi back to her senses. Unfortunately it took a resounding slap from her mom to make her blink and come around. Dean winced, she wasn't going to like that. Hell, he didn't like that.

They searched again to make sure and Arandi insisted that she couldn't remember anything. She just kept staring at Dean as if she expected him to grow another head. She was trembling and rubbing her cheek.

"Well no one is getting anymore sleep tonight. We'll go get breakfast started you guys get this door fixed." Mary ordered. "Dean, you and Arandi get dressed and we'll have some hot tea for you sweetheart."

Arandi nodded and rubbed at her arms as if she was cold.

The second they were alone she launched herself into Dean's arms knocking them back into the recliner and he held onto her tightly.

"You remember don't you?" He asked softly.

She nodded against his neck and didn't raise her head as she told him the whole horrible thing.

Twice now Dean with yellow eyes. He had no clue what that meant. Or if Arandi had just had a nightmare or if she had had a vision as well. Would it be surprising after all they were the 'witch hour four' as Bobby called them and their siblings?

He suddenly felt cold too and held her a bit longer. "Come on we better get down to moms. You don't have to tell them if you don't want to say anything. I get how hard it is to see that and have to repeat it."

Arandi finally looked at him. "That's what you see? Me dying?"

He nodded biting his lower lip as the images flashed through his head.

"I don't like that fear." She said. She moved her hands to her neck and winced. "I don't like any fear."

Dean frowned and pulled her shirt down slightly. His eyes widened at the mottled purpling at her throat. He stood up fast nearly knocking her over.

How could a dream or even a vision do this? Had she been so far under that she had done it to herself somehow?

He moved his hands to his own neck and a chill ran through him. His throat had been slit by his yellow eyed self. What if….?

He didn't know and he didn't like it and he was so done being scared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi sat huddled against Dean at the Winchester dining room table as they ate the breakfast spread Mary and Beth had made. John and Bobby fixed the apartment door and double checked the wards. They found a hex hidden under one of the steps.

Bobby looked at John with squinty eyes.

"Fine." John bellowed. "So you were right. We need to ward the entire property not just the houses. I thought the sensor lights would keep things at bay after all they are special sensor lights." He used quote fingers.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "I'll get to work princess. You go get your panties untwisted and then we'll head out to Ben's and get some warding shrubs and plants to add to the gardens, some herbs wouldn't hurt either. I'm going to call Jim and have him overnight some charms and chimes and stuff. Rufus oughta still have those blessed stepping stones by the time I get done you'll be lucky if you're hairy ass will be able to get past the wards."

"You're lucky Mary loves you." John grumbled.

"Yeah, well maybe she'll come to her damn senses and run away with a real man." Bobby snickered.

It made Arandi smile. Dean followed. "Anything I can do?"

"You just take care of your wife, you hear me?" Bobby commanded. "We got this and you and you your floppy haired brother can read about it my memoires."

"You want to take a nap?" Dean asked Arandi.

She nodded and yawned. She stood up so that Dean could stand and took two steps and stopped.

"Arandi?"

She blinked at him owlishly and then crumpled against him.

"Arandi!" He cried out. Shaking her face slightly.

The adults came running but Dean already had Arandi in his arms rushing to the Impala. He wasn't taking any chances.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How is this fair?" Arandi pouted. "I want to get you to the hospital and you balk but you bring me here because I fainted?"

"You could be pregnant." Dean huffed as he paced nervously. Their parents were in the lobby waiting along with Sam and Jade.

Bobby had stayed at the house to keep working and called in some help.

"Pregnant? Where did you get that from?"

Dean shrugged now clearly embarrassed. "I've been thinking about it. Haven't you?"

"Well yeah, but not for a few years."

He shrugged again. "Just wanted to make sure you were ok."

Arandi smiled softly. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "S'what I'm supposed to do."

The doctor came in then. "Mrs. Winchester, could I speak to you alone?"

Arandi instantly grabbed hold of Dean's hand. "He's my husband, anything you have to say to me you can say to him."

"You have a lot of bruising and….." The doctor began.

It was at that moment both of them remembered the handprints and finger marked bruising littering her body from their little tryst plus the bruising around her neck.

"We haven't been married very long." Dean mumbled.

The doctor quirked an eye brow.

"We're experimenting." Dean went on so red a lobster would be put to shame. Arandi matching the hue if not outdoing it.

The doctor still only stared. So Dean did the only thing he could think of and pulled down his sports pants.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They didn't dare tell their parents that part. The doctor though had taken one look at Dean's own finger marks and hand print and had actually started chuckling.

"I've been married so long I forgot about the honeymoon stage. Anyway Mrs. Winchester if you and your husband are going to be 'experimenting' you need to eat more iron rich foods. You're anemic and too much extracurricular activities can make you faint or give you bad headaches. Get some rest and if anything else seems off in the next couple of days see your regular doctor." He handed them their paperwork.

With that they had been on their way.

The family headed home but Dean told them that he had to take Arandi to pick up some things she needed.

He insisted that she sit in a wheel chair as he picked up just about everything on the list of the suggested iron rich diet the doctor had given them.

"I fainted, Dean, I can walk." She huffed.

"You can walk in a couple of days. Hell, you can breakdance, do your version of Chuck Norris, do the hokey pokey, today and tomorrow you're all mine."

"I won't forget this."

"As if." He sighed.

She softened a bit when she noticed the way Dean looked at the baby stuff when he swung through to pick up some wipes. He wanted to start a family and he was going to be a great dad.

So Arandi sighed deeply and settled in for a couple days of ridiculous pampering.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby, Caleb, and Rufus did an amazing job of warding the properties. The plants and shrubs making designs and sigils only clear to the eyes of someone in the know.

Even the feel in the air seemed more comforting.

Dean hung the dream catcher Jim had sent over the head board. It was the real deal. Blessed, sanctified, and warded.

There were chimes everywhere but instead of being annoying like Dean had assumed they were actually soothing.

They just had to see how long the peace would last.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A couple of weeks later on another weekend after working all week they were having another cook out and relaxing. Bobby was over and Caleb had stuck around to make sure things were working and adding things here and there.

Bobby and Rufus had broken up again as they often did. Dean could swear that they bickered more than an old married couple.

They were just about to sit down and eat when Jefferson popped his head over the fence.

"Hey, mind if I join." He smiled holding up a watermelon and other goodies.

"Come on around to the gate." Mary laughed.

Jefferson didn't move. "I'm not alone."

"Hey, Mary." A whiskey smooth female voice called out.

"Ellen?" Mary squealed.

"The one and only and her pain in the ass daughter."

"Thanks mom." Another female voice chimed in.

Dean cringed. Jo Harvelle. He looked tentatively at Arandi and she remembered her too by the scowl on her face.

When they were younger the Harvelles had been a regular fixture. Jason, Ellen, and Jo.

Jo was a couple of months younger than Dean and Arandi but they had gotten along and Jo had enjoyed being friends with Arandi and Jade.

That was until Jo developed a crush on Dean and instead of hanging with the girls when they came over she wanted to hang with Dean and she seemed to have forgotten that Dean and Arandi were joined at the hip.

It had gotten pretty bad, to the point where Dean made excuses to not be around when they came over and sometimes he was allowed to get away with it.

Then suddenly they stopped coming and Dean was relieved and finally he asked what had happened.

John wouldn't speak their names let alone say anything to Dean but Mary had finally pulled him aside and told him that Jason had been killed on a hunt and Ellen blamed John for it.

That had been nearly five years before so there was no way Ellen was coming by just to socialize after all this time.

Arandi moved herself onto Dean's lap. Snuggling in close and he splayed his legs making himself comfortable. He hooked his fingers through one of the belt loops of the shorts she was wearing.

Jefferson came around first. Then Ellen, Jo right behind her and a skinny guy with a mullet.

"Love the hair, dude." John snickered.

"It's all business in the front and party in the back." The guy said with a flair of hands and a spin.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks. They liked him instantly.

"This is Ash." Ellen introduced. "He's become like the son I never wanted."

"Ellen, really?" Ash asked wide eyed.

"No, you dope." Ellen scoffed.

Dean could feel Jo's eyes on him and he heard the clearing of two mom's throats. He looked at Arandi who rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Jo." Dean, Arandi, Sam, and Jade said that at the same time.

"Hey." She responded.

She had grown up. She had always been a string bean like Sam when she was young but she had filled out in all the right places and her blonde hair was down to the middle of her back in waves.

John stood by thin lipped until Mary elbowed him. "So, Ellen, ya'll like to join us for dinner. There is plenty for all of us and more. You know how boys eat."

Ellen gave him a half smile. "We'd like that. Haven't been to a cook out in a dog's age. Thank you."

"Well, come on have a seat."

Dean felt Arandi tense up. They were going to have to move to the picnic table. She stood up and Dean watched as Jo's eyes studied Arandi. He stood up behind her. Jo's eyes fell on him and her eyes examined him even closer.

He had been maybe five two the last time they had seen each other. He wrapped his arms around Arandi and kissed her.

When he looked back Jo was beat red with her head down.

"My goodness what did you feed this bunch?" Ellen chimed in as she made her way to the table. Dean and Sam towering over nearly everyone. Arandi and Jade were far from short.

She stopped in front of Arandi and looked up at her. "Child look at you." She said in a breath and pulled her into a hug.

Arandi hugged her back and watched as Jo tried to cover a scowl.

"You two have been together and still." Ellen marveled as Dean once again stepped behind Arandi.

"Forever." Dean said. "Now it's official." He added bringing up their hands together to show the wedding rings." His eyes on Jo as he said it.

She squirmed.

"And before you say a word about the invitation, these two eloped on us but there is going to be an official wedding to blow the roof in a year or two." Beth added quickly.

They all sat around the table and began to serve the food and talk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they were all stuffed and still enough left overs to make Sam very happy. They sat outside with cocktails and beer catching up.

Ellen grew somber. "John, I know things didn't end well with us back then but I have forgiven."

John nodded. "You had to grieve, Ellen, no one expected you to not to."

She nodded. "I still miss him."

There was silence for a couple of minutes.

"Anyway, we came to Jefferson because we may have some information that pertains to you. Well Ash does anyway."

"Oh yeah." Ash popped up from where he had been shattering nonstop with Sam. "I'll be right back."

"He's a genius." Jo smirked.

Dean chuckled.

Ash rushed back with what looked like a laptop that had been rewired and had attachments all around it. He also carried a thick folder under his arm.

"You remember that file you left at the Roadhouse?" Ellen asked Mary.

"Yeah, the one with weather patterns maybe having to do with demon sightings."

"I had stuffed in a file cabinet and I rented a room to Ash. He stumbled onto it and the next thing I know he's telling me that he figured out how to track demons. Not just any demon."

"The demon." Ash blurted loudly.

"Yellow eyes?" Sam asked looking over Ash's shoulder at the graphs on the computer screen.

"No. I think we're dealing with a bigger fish. Problem is that everything just stopped a couple of days before." Ash huffed.

"Another demon as strong Azazel?"

Ellen squinted.

"Yeah, he was kind enough to introduce himself by name. Why didn't you say something before?" John growled.

"I didn't want to come off halfcocked." Ellen replied. "The only reason we came today was because…" She looked at Ash.

"He was here sometime today and we wanted to make sure you were alright and help if we could." Ash continued. "Ellen has told me all about you and being in the service of hunter research the Winchesters and Remingtons carry quite a rep so I had to do some fangirling."

Sam slapped Ash's back as he laughed. "We'll all autograph your laptop."

Ash actually looked hopeful.

"So the new warding worked?" Jade asked.

"Looks like." John replied. "Or we're being lulled into a false sense of security."

"That's not stressful at all." Caleb mumbled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jo wished that she had stayed home but the fact that her overly strict mother had included her in this had been something else. So she came along. It had been a few years since she had last been there and she hoped that since they were just kids all that mooning she had done over Dean might have been forgotten.

That was until she laid eyes on him and her heart fluttered just the way it had back in the day. There was no way in hell that she was the only one that could look at him and not get all tingly.

He was so tall now and he had filled out. His eyes that were always in a different shade of green depending on his mood so alive and damn she was staring again.

What did it matter how green his eyes were? He didn't seem to use them for anything but gazing lovingly at Arandi.

It had been bad now it was worse. Jo had often prayed that Dean would tire of Arandi and she would have her moment in the sun.

They were married. They were in love. Jo needed a strong shot of something.

Arandi had always been beautiful and those freakish blue eyes of hers that made Jo feel as if her soul was being scorched. She chuckled to herself maybe she had a crush on Arandi too.

She was an adult now and she had to act it. Dean was never going to be hers like that. Didn't mean she had to alienate him….them.

So she finally met Arandi's eyes and gave her the first genuine smile in a long time.

She got two in return.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The night progressed and the worries were put on the back burner. Stories were passed around from old hunts and good laughs.

Arandi, Jade, and Jo eventually disappeared and Dean's curiosity got the best of him. He found them all laughing and playing pool in the Winchester game room. All three of them could put most men to shame when it came to playing those balls.

Sam came in with Ash and soon they were paired off and playing hard. Dean loved the challenge of actually playing people almost as good as he was. Almost. Arandi had beat him a couple of times and that was only because his mind tended to get a bit foggy when she bent over and yeah…..Even his dad and Bobby couldn't beat him anymore unless he let them.

Mary, Beth, and Ellen were laughing and carrying on in the kitchen. And the men continued their story telling outside.

All in all it turned out to be a good night.

Everyone was invited to spend the night since everyone had had one too many.

Dean, Sam, and Ash moved to playing darts and the girls sat close by talking and laughing playing bones.

Dean loved to see Arandi in carefree moments like that. She looked at him and smiled. Suddenly he didn't want to do anything more that carry her off to bed.

"Down boy." Sam muttered.

Dean burst into laughter and put his eyes back on the dart board before someone lost an eye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I never meant to make things awkward." Jo said to Arandi while they got a guest room ready for her. "I just wasn't around any other boys but Dean and Sam."

"I forgot you were home schooled." Arandi answered.

"That got lonely fast. Mom finally let me go to public school after…." Jo trailed off. "Didn't help with the boys much. I was too much tomboy for them especially since I could kick most of their asses at just about everything."

"I don't envy you that."

"You can't possibly envy anything."

Arandi sighed. "Trust me you were just the first in a very long, long line of people that had a crush on Dean. And I say people because not all of them have been girls."

Jo laughed. "Dean must love that."

"He acts like it bothers him but I know he gets a little flattered especially when the guy isn't even gay. Just goes gay for a minute or two when they see his eyes and pouty lips." Arandi made googly eyes and clasped her hands by her head.

"That are all yours."

Arandi smiled at that. "Yeah." She said fondly.

"And you're married. Hell, I haven't been on a date in over six months. One look at my mom and it's like a magician act."

Arandi suddenly looked at Jo in a way that made her wonder if she should run.

"My brother loves blondes."

Jo blushed. "Isn't your brother overseas and way older than me?"

"Age is nothing but a number, baby. Besides you can video chat or e-mail." Arandi suddenly seemed very excited.

"You want me to date your brother?" Jo asked flabbergasted.

"My brother has never had a serious relationship. He doesn't want to fall in love and then have that person bolt the second they know the real Johnny Remington. You're a hunter like him and he doesn't have to pretend to be anything else."

"Will he even like me?" Jo asked actually beginning to get into the idea. So Johnny was halfway across the world. At least her mom couldn't scare him off. Much.

Arandi pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. "It's afternoon over there I think. Johnny? Hey how are you? No everything is fine but do you have time to chat? I've got someone who wants to say hi. Yeah, yeah, five minutes. Love ya, bro." She grabbed Jo's hand and dragged her to the family room and booted up the family computer.

Thirty minutes later she was wishing her brother goodnight because she was more than sure that Johnny was definitely interested. Jo grinned huge at her mouthing 'thank you.' Johnny was one hell of a catch.

Arandi felt like she had done something good. Jo wasn't a bad person and she was beautiful, she was lonely and so was her brother and they were both hunters so she felt good about it.

She rushed to find Dean and Sam told her he had gone to the apartment already. She wished everyone goodnight and headed out.

She found Dean getting their bed ready and walking around in his boxers. She started to tell him the news but he kissed her quiet and then led her into the bathroom.

The tub was filled with warm water and her favorite bubble bath. He helped her take off her clothes and he stepped in first then she got in to relax against him.

"You're taking a bubble bath?"

"I'll blame it on Johnnie Walker tomorrow" He sighed. "So what were you all excited about?"

She told him.

"Johnny and Jo? That might actually work if he wasn't halfway across the world."

"Maybe if he has a good reason to come home…."

"Yeah, I miss him too."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	22. CURSE CURSES CURSED

CURSE CURSES CURSED

"Johnny's coming home!" Arandi squealed throwing herself into Dean's arms one day after work a couple of months later.

"Really?"

"Yes! Things have gotten serious between him and Jo and her mom adores him so he's going ask to be relocated close by and have his duties decreased maybe just reserves. You know since he saved the generals ass, he gives Johnny anything he wants."

"That's awesome. I heard dad say that Bobby's been doing a lot of repairs at the Roadhouse." Dean wagged his eyebrows.

"I hope so. They have both been alone too long."

Dean chuckled. "I want to see Bobby's face if Ellen and him do get that serious and she tries to clean his house."

"Oh that's not going to be pretty. Anyway, love, you ready?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute. I got to lock up everyone else already left." Dean wiped his brow and Arandi frowned.

"Dean, where's your wedding ring?"

His gut twisted. "I sort of found out the hard way why it's not a good idea to wear it when I'm working." He pulled out the ring from his jeans pocket and handed it to her.

The silver ring now slightly twisted and damaged.

"Are you ok?" She asked taking his hand and examining his ring finger which was a bit purple and swollen.

"I managed to pull free before I ended up with a broken finger or worse. Got royally chewed out by Hector." Dean huffed and turned to start locking the garage doors.

"As much as I don't like the idea of you not wearing your ring. I also don't like the idea of there being less of you to love." She pouted.

Dean chuckled. "I talked to Bobby and he had a great idea. It will not only be safe to work with, show just how married we are, but it's also a protection."

"I'm listening."

"Tattoos on our fingers, he's working out the design from old Celtic and a mix of other cultures marriage ruins. Soon as he e-mails it we can get them done."

"Permanent wedding rings? Didn't tattoos get us in trouble before?"

"Well, baby, we're permanent so yeah. Bobby won't stop until he's sure what's right."

"Alright but I'm still wearing my diamonds too."

"I didn't expect anything less from you, princess."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This feels weird." Dean breathed into Arandi's ear as they made out on the front seat of the Impala.

"You're not that old."

"We haven't done this since we got the apartment. And I've never, ever had to fake it."

"We're on a hunt, Dean."

He kissed her neck putting on the act of a lifetime and still his dick twitched with interest.

Their parents had asked them to be bait. There had been a string of attacks in surrounding counties of young couples caught making out and since they were a young couple…

"Fuck." Dean moaned. "Baby, how about a quickie? A really fast, dirty, delicious quickie."

Before Arandi could respond. The loud screech of metal on metal made her teeth grind and she cringed. Whatever it was had just damaged the Impala.

Dean's furious green eyes gleamed, the veins in his neck taught.

"This is going to end fast." Arandi muttered in motion as Dean jumped from the car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat grim faced and stiff as they headed home. He was covered in blood, thankfully most of it wasn't his, and other gross bits.

The hunted had turned out to be vagels, a strange sort of woodland creature that was a cross between a vampire and a ghoul and probably a couple of other fugly things.

Dean had killed nine of them single handed before any of the other hunters could even move from their hiding spots. Arandi had managed two and then just got out of his way.

He was a master of his craft and an amazing sight to behold when pissed off and full on hunter. They had signed their death warrant by damaging the second love of his life.

Arandi was breathless just spectating. He was her knight regardless of how well trained she was.

"Are you hurt?" She dared to ask knowing damn well that he could be bleeding to death and he'd say….

"I'm fine." He mumbled.

"Dean….."

"I said I'm fine!" He snapped.

"You can fix that scratch in less than an hour, Dean, what the literal fuck?" She snapped back.

"If they hadn't decided to play with their food first. I could have gotten you killed for letting my dick take over." He yelled. "What the hell is wrong with me asking you to…?" He slammed on the brakes and barely had the car in park before he was out pacing furiously. His hands moving from his head to his hips as he mumbled to himself.

She both wanted to love him and smack him senseless for being so protective of her.

"If you don't stop treating me as if I'm some sort of fragile flower, I swear, Dean!"

"You're not fragile by any means but you are my flower." He sighed. Putting his hands on his hips because as much as he wanted to touch her that wasn't happening until he was power washed and bleached. Rinse and repeat.

Arandi's eyes bored into him. His love was romantically maddening. "Can we go home now?"

He nodded and they were back in the car and on their way again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

One of the many contraptions that Bobby and Rufus had added to the Winchester Remington properties was a large wash room where the hunters could wash off when they came home covered in stuff they didn't want clogging up their plumbing.

There was also a heavy duty washer and dryer and an incinerator in case clothing was beyond saving. Plus every type of cleaner known to man for cleaning the interior of cars which Dean insisted on doing after peeling off the gross clothes and getting into some disposable coveralls. He wasn't about to let that crap fester overnight.

As always Arandi was there to help Dean out and check him head to toe for injuries. He looked like he could barely stand by the time she had him showered, patched up, and in a robe pushing him up the stairs to their apartment.

Their parents had already done their concerned rounds and left them some food.

Arandi though could tell that Dean wanted nothing but bed. She pulled off his robe and he tumbled naked onto the bed on his stomach. Letting out the slightest groan as he aggravated the cuts and he was gone.

She sighed and pulled a comforter over him. She hadn't entirely washed up herself tending to Dean so she took a quick shower before joining him. She curled up beside him and watched him sleep. It was the only time he looked at peace anymore and even then his dreams made him look cross.

She was just about to drift off when he moaned and moved as if to get comfortable and his eyes opened.

She felt completely paralyzed when she looked into yellow eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean startled awake when he felt the bed jolt hard. He reached for the knife under his pillow on instinct and still on his stomach he listened intently. Arandi was next to him her face towards him.

He waited and Arandi's body jolted making the bed jostle.

Dean let out the breath he had been holding. Arandi must be dreaming about falling. It hadn't exactly been an easy night for either of them. He reached over slowly and caressed her cheek.

She nestled deeper into her pillow with a sigh her eyes coming to half-mast for a brief second.

Dean blinked. The room was mostly dark and he was more asleep than awake but her eyes seemed to shine.

They were closed again before he could think another thought on it. He was tired. He was still mad at himself but he was going to let that stew in his own mind and not take it out on her. She worried about him enough.

He was supposed to protect her, make her happy, and that didn't include his insufferable angst over every shift of shit that he put into motion. Last night was getting filed away in the Dean Winchester file of 'never do that' again. Then refiled in a few weeks in the 'fuck I did it again' folder.

He slipped into sleep in a breath.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi sat up gasping. It had been a dream at least that was what she was going to make herself believe.

The sun was up and Dean was standing at the edge of the bed slipping on a t-shirt.

"I was going to let you sleep in longer." He smiled. "You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a bad dream."

He frowned. "The dream catcher has kept those at bay since we got it."

"I don't really remember much just something made me skittish." He was in a good mood and smiling. She hadn't expected that after last night. She really didn't want to ruin it.

Dean could tell she wasn't telling him everything and he really didn't want for her to be upset. He was sure that if it was important she would tell him. "Can you at least pretend to be asleep so that I can surprise you with breakfast in bed?"

"There's only one thing I want for breakfast." She said seductively biting her lip.

"Surprise, surprise." He grinned slipping off the shirt he had barely put on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had the Impala back to perfection in less than hour as predicted. He still felt rotten for letting his guard down. He knew that it was dangerous especially on a hunt.

He had bit it down because Arandi wouldn't stop worrying if he moped or stewed about it. It had otherwise turned out pretty good and he'd even left John and slacked jawed at how good he was at his job.

Dean sighed. John would find something wrong with it. "You swung right when you should have swung left." Dean muttered to himself. He was sure that he could do away with every single monster on earth and his dad would find a reason for it to be bad and all Dean's fault.

"Thought I'd help you wash the car." Arandi said behind him.

He was about to tell her that it was all done until he turned around and saw what she was wearing. Thank goodness they were out of sight.

"You are so fucking evil." He grinned and licked his lips as his eyes raked over her in the opened Daisy Duke's and white with no bra crop top. She was barefoot and fuck.

"Guess you're going to have to make me suffer until I'm good huh?" She drawled as she walked around him closely.

Dean groaned and let his head drop chin to chest. The bulge in his pants obscene.

"Just how wet can you get me?" She blew into his ear.

It was safe to bet he would never achieve sainthood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The music of the club blared loudly. Dean tried his best to keep Arandi against him and no one else on the dance floor but it was hard with so many people crowded around them. He'd already had enough breasts and other things rubbed against him.

"This is not how I wanted to spend our first anniversary." He said into her ear.

Just like that a year had slid away.

"Me neither." She replied.

Another hunt though and saving lives trumped fun times. Jefferson had asked for their help with a wild running vamp nest that loved the club life. John couldn't say no. Anniversaries were second hand to human lives.

Jefferson and the others would stick out like a sore thumb in that type of environment so Dean and Arandi, Johnny and Jo, and after a long loud argument Sam and Jade had made, had gone clubbing for vamps.

Since warding the properties things had quieted with the demon issues. Just an occasional heads up from Ash.

They knew better than to be hopeful.

"Freaking vamps could feed right here on the floor this place is so overcrowded." Dean grumbled. "Come on we're not accomplishing shit like this." He pulled Arandi off the dance floor.

She was right at his height in the amazing stiletto heels that she wore with the black mini dress and sparkling panty hose.

All over the place people were pressed against walls making out.

''Their crotchless." Arandi suddenly whispered in his ear.

He nearly got whiplash when he spun around to look at her. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Slow little deaths." She grinned so sinfully Dean groaned out loud.

"Arandi, baby, I've got to keep my mind clear." He said even as he adjusted himself.

"I'm just saying. Vamps can smell blood but they must really be able to smell blood that's pumping like mad from orgasmic bliss." She breathed into his ear and then nibbled the shell of it.

Dean shuddered. He knew he wasn't going to win this one. He was after all only human. Presently a horny human.

He grabbed her hand and practically yanked her into a very dark corner. He pressed her into the wall that he prayed was at least somewhat clean.

They kissed hot and heavy. He felt her hands on his zipper and he knew where this was leading and fuck if he could stop it. Once his sexual intent took off it was like a runaway car on an incline slope sliding down. Once he got momentum just get the hell out of the way until he crashed to a stop.

He wasn't shy about public sex. It actually made him hotter just thinking about it. His problem was that he didn't like anyone seeing Arandi fall apart. That was his private pleasure.

Though at the moment he couldn't stop to save his soul. Especially when she came off the floor and wrapped her legs around him and he slid in to the hilt.

They were indeed crotchless and hot as fuck. He told himself the corner was dark enough to keep eyes off.

Erratic corkscrew thrusts and she was mumbling gibberish in his ear. It wasn't meant to be anything but a way to get the blood moving and that so wasn't a problem when he heard her moan his name beautifully and couple of thrusts later he was going weak in the knees from the climax that took him over.

Thankfully he had enough time to tuck himself away before he was suddenly flying backwards and hitting another wall full force.

His vision blurred. His heart pumping like mad to find Arandi. She had been right. People started to scream and run. Dean pushed himself against the wall trying not to get trampled.

Then his eyes fell on why everyone was making a mad dash.

Apparently one of the vamps had a voyeuristic side to it and Dean and Arandi's show had pushed it over the edge. It was sucking the blood from a woman's neck for all to see.

Dean was still trying to figure out who had thrown him and he got his answer seconds later when a female emo looking vamp stepped in front him baring her fangs to him. She yanked him to his feet by his collar and Dean had his machete out and her head was rolling in a breath.

Another one of his classy inventions. A machete that fit into his jacket without limiting mobility.

He looked towards Arandi at the exact moment that she stabbed the vamp with a dead man's blood tipped blade that had been her stiletto heel. Jade appeared and took the head.

Dean just stared. There was his wife looking like a goddess pissed to all hell with gorgeous fly away hair.

He yelled a warning as another vamp came up behind her and she did a beautiful flip in the air and another head rolled. She'd gotten a machete from Jade. Fuck he loved to see her like that.

In moments it became clear that they were outnumbered. Dean could see his brother and Jade fighting on one side of the club and Johnny and Jo on the other.

Dean turned taking a vamp head. Two more coming right behind. He didn't turn fast enough for another and his head was yanked to the side and he growled in pain as fangs sank in to the hilt in his neck too close to his throat. Another set of fangs sank into his left wrist and he heard his machete clank to the floor.

He sank to his knees struggling hard but the initial introduction to the wall had left him disoriented.

The vamp at his neck had hit a giving vein and he could feel his blood rushing out.

The loud whoosh of a swinging machete and Arandi was there taking out the vamps on him and he crumpled to the floor.

Arandi slammed to the floor when another vamp swept her legs out from under her and his reward was a stiletto heel to the eye as she kipped up back to standing.

More vamps were coming and Dean couldn't help but wonder in his weakened mind just how clueless the cops were.

Arrows flew from above. The older hunters had finally come to the rescue with dead man's blood tipped arrows.

Dean fought the dark until he was sure Arandi and Sam were safe. Then he fell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When he woke again, he was safely tucked away in his own bed with a pint of blood dripping into his arm. He felt so cold. His neck burned and felt swollen, his wrist just as bad and another pain in the back of his right shoulder.

"Do I want to know how they got the jump on you?" He heard his dad off to the right.

Dean sighed. He'd be ninety and his dad would still be lecturing him on his fuck ups.

"It was my fault." Arandi said rather tersely. "It is our anniversary after all and…."

"Everyone is safe and the vamp nest taken out." Mary interrupted as she glared at John. "Rufus, Caleb, and Jefferson are doing their men in black gig."

"Sam?" Dean asked and winced. His throat felt as if he swallowed shards of glass laced with acid that were lit on fire.

"Present and accounted for, sir." Sam stood at attention clearly mocking their dad.

"Enough of your attitude, Sam!" John bellowed.

"Attitude?" Sam scoffed. "Don't you ever get tired of judging us when you're nowhere near as perfect as you try to make yourself out to be? You shot Dean with an arrow because you make no mistakes."

"You really don't want to do this in front of everybody. And at least it wasn't a silver bullet."

"Why not we're all family and might as well skip all the retelling?"

Dean sat up slowly. His head spinning.

This wasn't going to end well.

"For fuck sake, dad, it was their first anniversary and you couldn't even let them have that and you, Dean, you could have said no. Fuck man think of your wife. She could have lost you tonight but the blunt little instrument….."

"Enough, Sam." Mary hissed.

Sam's eyes bored into his brother because he never dared argue with mom.

"You need to go now." John said getting in Sam's face.

"Or what? You gonna ground me? Kick me out?"

Dean could see his dad's hands becoming fists. He slipped the IV out of his arm.

"Sam, please stop it." He pushed out. He coughed.

"Why are you so fucking blind when it comes to dad, Dean, why can't you fucking tell him to fuck off?"

Dean pushed himself to feet. His mom and Arandi by him because he was far from steady. The room was spinning nonstop and there was two of everybody.

"Sam, your brother isn't well right now." His mom said soothingly.

"Yeah, I know because dad couldn't wait one frigging night to let them enjoy their first year of marriage. The first one that says that you have to have a clear mind on the hunt. Dean didn't fuck up tonight, you did." Sam growled at his dad.

Dean saw it coming and he shoved past his mom and wife and inserted himself between his dad and brother.

"I said enough!" He yelled his voice harsh and hurt. A hand on two seething chests. "I know that I can say no, Sam, but people were dying and Arandi wanted to go to."

"You wouldn't have said no. You never do."

"Sam, I have about had it with you." John hollered.

A weakened Dean was caught between two raging bulls as they began to shove. His entire body was in pain and his head was going to burst. They forgot though that he was a raging bull too.

"I said ENOUGH!" He yelled on already torn out voice and shoved with everything he had left, both brother and father stumbled to their ass looking shocked that Dean had that kind of strength.

He grabbed his head and everyone startled when the dresser mirror shattered untouched.

"Fuckin' idjits." Bobby burst into the room.

Dean fell to his knees trembling, his hands still at his head as if he was trying to keep something from falling off or out.

"Don't." Bobby lifted his hand to both Mary and Arandi as they tried to get to Dean.

"What's wrong?" Arandi asked terrified.

"The dead man's blood he got a dose of isn't reacting well to his own blood." Bobby said. "You two idjits can't ever leave well enough alone." He glared from John to Sam. He moved to Dean. "Son?"

Dean was trembling. "I can't…..I can't…." His arms fell to his side as he stiffened up and his eyes rolled.

Bobby fell to his knees barely catching Dean as he fell. Dean started convulsing violently.

Arandi fell to her knees crying. Everyone else was at a loss as to what to do.

"Dean!" Bobby yelled. "Come on, son."

Dean gasped loudly and jerked so hard it made Bobby's teeth rattle. Blood started pouring from Dean's nose and trickling from his mouth. He went completely still in Bobby's arms.

"Dean?" Arandi whispered. "Oh God, Dean."

"I hope you're happy with yourselves!" Bobby yelled. "You just killed Dean!"

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	23. LETTING GO OF LETTING GO

LETTING GO OF LETTING GO

Arandi could have kicked Bobby's ass as much as she wanted to kiss him for scaring the crap out of everyone like he had. She understood that was what he was trying to do was scare John and Sam to what they were doing to Dean.

Trying to get through their extra thick skulls that Dean was only human and had his limits.

He wasn't dead just not handling dead man's blood well at all and the mix of vamps bites along with the surge of anger fueled adrenalin. Bobby had been the one to kick everyone out. John had been the one to accidently put the arrow in his son but he still wouldn't lay the blame anywhere else. The fight had left them all when they thought for that brief moment that Dean had actually died.

Mary couldn't stop crying and that was what made Sam shut up once and for all. He felt like crap for hurting his brother. He was mad about his brother getting hurt in the first place and he'd only made it worse. Seeing his mom cry like that made him feel like shit warmed over and sprinkled with scum. She had enough crap to deal with just being married to John Winchester.

John was stoned face and quiet now. He realized that his biggest fear was losing his family and worse yet one of his kids dying before him. Everyone saw him as a bully to his sons but he just wanted them to be safe, to stay safe, always with their eyes wide open.

Bobby and Johnny stayed with Arandi to help her get Dean settled again and clean up the mess. Bobby left just long enough to get what he needed to make sure the dead man's blood didn't make Dean worse. In a moment alone he let some tears flow. Losing Dean would kill him. Any of his bunch but Dean was special to him.

"Jo and I are going to use your guest room." Johnny told Arandi. "You shouldn't be alone tonight."

Arandi nodded tiredly.

"You go take a shower and I'll sit with him. Jo's making you some toast and hot tea."

She didn't want to be away from Dean too long so she hurried and settled in beside him. Bobby finished up but not before triple checking everything.

Johnny stayed with her until she finished the tea and toast. She didn't think that she would be able to sleep but she did.

Sometime in the middle of the night she felt Dean tossing. His startling green eyes wide when he looked at her.

She explained what had happened and he nodded slowly. His voice was shot.

He slept almost the entire next day and no one bothered him except Bobby who insisted on another pint of blood.

Arandi could tell when Dean was wide awake that he didn't want company so she asked them to please leave.

He lay his head on her lap in the living room flipping channels and Arandi ran her fingers through his hair. She tried to only ask him questions he could answer with a nod or shake but mostly she let him be.

She could tell by the dark green of his eyes that he was still upset and he had no way to vent with no voice.

She made him rest a couple of days more and then took him to the work out room and taped his fists and injured wrist as he watched her with twinkling eyes. His silent I love you.

She sat and watched him beat the seams of the poor punching bag open even with the sore wrist and she winced. Grateful it wasn't an actual person that he vented on.

He was dripping sweat and breathing hard when he finally stopped but his eyes were clear sea green and beautiful.

She helped relieve a bit more stress when she dropped to her knees and reminded him of her many talents involving her tongue.

She missed his moans and the way her name slipped from his lips but he was still beautiful with his head thrown back and his opened mouth silent scream of pleasure.

Back in the apartment she repeated the performance in the shower.

He ate with a huge smile, even though it was just soup, and twinkling eyes.

Later she caught him looking at the broken dresser flipping a missed shard of glass with his fingers. Deeply lost in thought.

Neither Bobby nor Johnny had figured out how the mirror had broken only thinking that it might have already been damaged and something must have hit it while all the commotion ensued.

Mary had John and Sam on lock down so they were not to go anywhere near Dean for as long as she deemed necessary.

Both of them moped but the arguing had ended, at least for the time being.

Arandi knew that Dean didn't want to see either of them yet. They had hurt him in more ways than physically and she didn't like that one bit.

They were sitting watching Godzilla VS Mothra when Dean slinked off the sofa onto his knees and pulled her to his liking and her comfort. Before she could ask him what he was doing she was panting and arching in pleasure, an apparent payback for earlier.

She still had her voice so she let him know just how good it felt.

Later he carried her to bed and they made love until they were sated heaps of boneless flesh.

She woke again in the middle of the night and Dean again was standing by the dresser staring into it as if the mirror was still there.

She didn't know if he was awake or sleep walking. He did that sometimes when upset.

"What do you see?" She whispered.

"Yellow eyes." She heard rasped out. She didn't move. Unsure if maybe she was the one dreaming.

Dean turned and walked back to the bed asleep before he finished lying down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was broken glass everywhere. Dean walked carefully because he was barefoot. The shattered glass hard to avoid.

He knew he was dreaming yet it felt just as real as anything. He walked and walked but didn't seem to get anywhere.

"Look at yourself." A voice out of nowhere made him jolt to a stop.

The shards of glass suddenly rising and twirling all around him until it formed a long fractured mirror in front of him. He looked at himself in the fragments.

"What do you see?" Another voice asked.

He could see a million yellow eyes staring at him wickedly.

He turned away. He had to turn away there was a part of him that knew that he could slip into that darkness and never return.

The part of him that craved it scared him the most.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi brought it up to Dean the next day, only the part of him being up. He didn't remember and she didn't push.

No one bothered them and they relaxed. Arandi couldn't be happier that they had such understanding employers and they did work their asses off when they were at work.

They were sound asleep that night when the panic alarm went off and they were up and moving fast.

Bobby had surprised Dean with a fireman pole on their patio so they wouldn't have to bother with the stairs in an emergency.

Arandi knew Dean was probably never going to use the stairs again to go down.

Bobby had loved to see Dean smile. He still didn't have his voice so Dean hugging him had made him mushy but that was ok.

Arandi was holding her breath. From what she could tell the alarm was coming from Jade's room. She probably felt like Johnny when it came to her younger sibling, she didn't want the bad to reach her.

She knew before she even entered the room that that wishful thinking was a thing of the past.

Jade had now joined the ranks of awful dream or vision. Seeing Sam dead at the hands or actually paws of a hell hound and seeing another Sam with yellow eyes telling the beast what to do.

Looked like it was time to order another dream catcher.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the first time since the vamp hunt that Dean had been in the same room as John and Sam.

They both looked at him expectantly and he just about spun on his heel and headed out. Only Sam gently touching his arm and murmuring, "Sorry." Made Dean stop, sigh loudly and give in completely.

"I was scared and I blew it." Sam went on. "You're not the one I wanted to hurt."

Dean nodded.

Arandi angry still for what they had put him through stepped up and took Dean's hand. "If you ever hurt him like that again. Not even God will save you." She looked from John to Sam.

Mary chuckled. "I knew there was a reason I loved her."

Dean looked at her with those eyes that melted her like snow in July. He didn't have to have a voice for her to know what he felt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Most everyone knew that Dean was stubborn. He got that from John, Sam though was well on his way to beating his older brother for the heavy weight title.

He knew that he was supposed to stay clear of Dean if he was going to upset him but he still showed up when Dean was working out and Arandi had headed to the apartment to start lunch.

Dean eyed him.

"Cat still got your tongue." Sam teased.

Dean shrugged.

Sam sighed hard and wrung his hands. Arandi had warned him and his dad to not hurt Dean but that was unavoidable. The longer he waited the more it was going to hurt. The more it was going to scream of complete betrayal.

"Dean, you know I love you, and I'd do anything for you." Sam started.

Dean frowned. He knew that this was going somewhere bad.

"I can't do this. I can't stay here and I don't want to hunt. Yellow eyes is expecting me to be a hunter well that's not what he's going to get. He wants me still then he's getting a lawyer. Jade and I are taking extra classes and we are going to graduate early. Then we are heading to Stanford."

He wasn't disappointed. The absolute look of betrayal on Dean's face felt like a punch to his heart.

"Dean, I'm sorry." Sam tried and grunted in shock as Dean shoved him back hard. He fell against the wall but stared at his brother. This was going to happen. It had to.

He looked at Dean. His eyes a furious shade of green, shiny with tears that wouldn't fall.

Sam knew it was cowardly for him to do this when Dean had no voice, he knew that he deserved every seething thing his brother had bottled up inside after all he had just broken his brothers' heart and he was about to stomp on it a couple more times. Destroy that part of Dean that lived for his brother.

"I don't want you to follow me, Dean, I want you and Arandi to live a normal life and have a family."

Dean felt like he had been blindsided with a sledgehammer. His brother had just basically told him that once he moved out that he didn't want anything to do with his older brother.

He had given up his chance at college and Arandi had followed. He could have his own business and so many other things but he stayed for Sam and Sam was taking that and spitting on it and throwing it back in his face.

He worked his throat. Swallowing hard. It still hurt like a bitch. He punched Sam twice in the face hard enough for Sam to hit the floor. He knew that it was a double standard. Watch out for Sammy and all that tattooed on the brain crap when here he was hurting Sam. He hoped his brother understood that the hits he was getting were mere love taps compared to the all-out rage he could really let loose. He didn't need to turn green to smash. "You….are …..a….selfish bastard." He gritted out feeling his throat constrict painfully. He started coughing and charged from the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was setting the table for lunch when she heard Dean practically tumble in the door.

She knew something was wrong before she even saw him. He was coughing hard, large helpless tears sliding down his cheeks as she took his arm and maneuvered him towards the sofa.

"Dean?"

He shook his head trying to breathe. He coughed again and blood splattered his lips.

"Oh God, Dean, I need to get you to the hospital. Ok?" She waited for the struggle and anger to take over. Only that didn't happen and it scared her more.

Dean only nodded and fell with his head buried in her neck clutching at her like a lifeline. She held him and rocked him. She could feel the silent sobs wracking his body. "It's ok, baby, I got you." Someone was so getting their ass handed to them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi really didn't want to deal with anyone. She needed to figure out what had happened but first she had to get Dean help.

She led him to the Impala and knew in an instant why Dean's knuckles were scraped and bruised. Jade was leading a wobbly Sam towards the house.

Sam stared at them and looked devastated when he saw Dean holding his throat and not looking at him.

"I'm sorry."

"Not as sorry as you're going to be." Arandi hissed. She knew it was cliché but at the moment it was better than giving him a full round house like she was craving.

Mary came to see what was happening and was clearly torn between which one of her sons to go to first.

"I'm taking Dean to the hospital." Arandi said evenly, still glaring at Sam. "I don't know what happened but he damaged his throat again and he's swallowing blood right now. I really need to go."

Mary's glare joined Arandi's. "Sam?"

"He needed to know." Sam insisted groggily.

Arandi didn't have time to wait. Dean was having trouble breathing and gagging. She got him in the car and sped away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi paced the ER like a caged tiger. She was so mad and worried she thought she was going to explode.

Dean had been given something to help him relax and he was zoned out staring at that wall on a hospital exam table.

Mary showed up alone half an hour later. "Well, you missed the fireworks." She sighed. "I told John he couldn't come because Dean was already upset enough. I told Sam he was lucky I didn't throw his ass in the panic room. Your parents are getting the gist of what's going on now and your sister is getting ripped a new one."

"So what caused all this?" Arandi asked.

Mary told her what the young ones had decided on their own and Arandi understood now why Dean was so distraught. Sam was walking away from him like every sacrifice Dean had ever made didn't mean anything.

"I knew Sam was as hard headed as John if not more but not only did he tell Dean that he was going to leave but he also told him not to follow and you and I both know to Dean that meant 'I never want to see you again.'" Mary said as she carded her fingers through he son's hair.

"Mary, please forgive me for the ass whooping I may bestow on your youngest son."

"Stand in line, sweetheart."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was serious enough that Dean was admitted. His throat damaged to the point that the doctor feared it could swell and cause severe breathing problems. The coughing had been severe enough to cause a small rip in the esophagus so he had managed to swallow a lot of blood which made him throw up and that just created more damage.

Dean seemed relieved to not have to go home and they kept him drugged to where his worries were not the center of attention. The pretty sunspots on his hospital room wall held his rapt attention for hours.

Arandi's eyes were like kaleidoscopes when he tried to look at them too hard.

While he looked adorable. Arandi was pissed that it wasn't an adorable moment.

Mary left to get them things they needed and some dinner for Arandi. She winced when she realized her big strapping son was going to be hating soup, Jello, and ice cream by the time his ordeal was over.

Getting to the house to get what she needed to she opened the back door to a shouting and shoving match between John and Sam.

"You won't be safe on your own." John was yelling.

"I'm not safe anywhere." Sam yelled back. "I'm going to live my life by my terms not some freaking demon!"

They both saw Mary then and stopped at the icy stone glare that met them.

"Dean is in the hospital. His throat could be permanently damaged and this is what you two are doing?"

"You know as well as I do, Mary that Sam can't leave."

"Try to stop me."

"Did either of you hear me?" She walked between them and smacked them both in the back of the head. "Dean, you remember him, the loyal son, and sacrificing older brother? Yea tall beautiful green eyes could kick both your asses with one hand tied behind his back if he didn't love you so fucking much!"

John and Sam both stood rubbing their heads with a pout.

"He is hurting in more ways than one and unless you both want to share the tree house you better get your heads out of your asses and pull your shit together!"

Mary stormed away.

"She's cussing." Sam murmured.

"You're sleeping on the floor." John mumbled.

"Am not."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The pain meds had worn off and Dean could feel every sharp thrum of pain that hit every time that he had to swallow. He stayed still watching Arandi fill out paperwork and wishing that he could take the worried look off her face. It made her look so much older than she was.

He wanted to tell her that he was going to be fine. That he wasn't going to let what Sam had done hurt him anymore but that was a lie wasn't it? Even at that moment as he thought about it, his chest ached.

This was what Sam wanted and though part of him was proud of his little brother for not letting the bad take over his life the rest of him was going to go crazy with worry with him so far away.

Sam could take care of himself but only if he had his mind in the game which Sam tended to never do with a million and one distractions. He wanted an education and then law school of all things. His mind would never be an hundred percent on looking out for the things that go bump in the night and rip out intestines in broad daylight.

'Out of your hands.' He heard somewhere in his mind. He blinked. A flash of something behind Arandi. 'Go to sleep, Deano, dream one last time.'

Dean swallowed and felt fire down his throat but somehow he fell asleep even though it was the last thing he wanted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He dreamt a jumble of things that he couldn't understand. Things were moving too fast. Demons, ghosts, vampires and every other ungodly thing reached for him.

Then everything stopped and he was standing in a graveyard at night, full moon overhead. A low menacing growl followed by a howl. He stared at the headstone in front of him. His name gleaming in silent point of what his fate was to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke with a start. He couldn't breathe. His throat tight and hot. He was still groggy but hell oxygen was oxygen.

Arandi saw the panic and pushed the nurse button instantly and took his hands. "Just breathe ok? Slow easy." What the doctor had feared was happening and more. She stayed as calm as she could. Seeing Dean's panicked eyes and his hands clutching the sheets and then her was pushing her to panic too.

The nurse took one look at Dean and hit a button on the wall. The room was flooded with other medical staff.

"If I move he'll panic more." Arandi whispered to the head nurse.

The nurse nodded and pulled the hospital bed forward giving Arandi room to get to where she was out of the way but still able to comfort Dean with a touch.

He stared her wide eyed and knowing he wasn't going to be able to fight the darkness he mouthed 'I love you' over and over until he couldn't see her anymore. He heard her say the words to him then he fell into dark silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It all happened in a blur. One minute Dean was there with her having trouble breathing. Telling her that he loved her the only way that he could. The next he was going to ICU, sedated, and about to have a tube stuffed down his throat and attached to a machine to help him breathe. Which meant even more damage to his already wrecked throat. She had told him she loved him until he was out of sight. Tears streaming down her face.

She needed to be with him but they wouldn't let her. Her chest felt constricted. Her heart squeezed in an unbearable vise.

She was standing in the hallway in shock when Mary and Beth came with their things and she fell into her mom's arms crying.

Mary was flabbergasted at the sudden turn for the worst of her son.

She called John in stunned anguish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam was on his laptop when he heard the knock. He knew his mom had gone to the hospital to drop things off for Dean and Arandi, Jade was presently grounded, so it had to be his dad.

"What?" He growled.

John opened the door slowly. Sam stood up in an instant when he saw his dad's dark somber face.

"What happened?"

"Dean, he uh, he's in ICU. Apparently he developed some kind of infection and his throat is closing up. He's...he's….not good….if he gets pneumonia….it could be fatal." John pushed out.

Sam stumbled back nearly falling. His own breathing hard to manage. Everything that was happening was his fault. Dean did nothing but watch out for him and his payback was being led to death's door by his little brother.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	24. DEATH, LOVE, AND HUNTERS

DEATH, LOVE, AND HUNTERS

Sam knew that Arandi was going to be pissed at him and he didn't blame her.

Being on his ass from a round house and seeing stars and nobody, not even Jade, coming to his rescue he deserved that too. He deserved a hell of lot more than that.

"He'd sell his soul for you." Arandi hissed "And you, you'd probably salt and burn him and forget him the next day.

"Don't you say that. Don't you say that to me." Sam flinched as he stood. "I would die for him, Arandi, I would but I don't want to be a hunter and I know that you don't want that life for your sister. That's all I said to him."

"You told him not to follow you and if you know Dean at all you know what he heard! You know exactly what he took to heart!"

The realization hit Sam like a bus. "Oh God, he has to know I didn't mean it like that." But he knew. He should have known after all these years that Dean read the bad between every line and then some.

"You won't have anything to worry about now will you? If he dies he can't follow you!" Arandi stormed away but stopped in front of John. "You are my father in law and I love you but I will…"

"Arandi." Jonathan warned.

She glared at them both and went to Dean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The days dragged out and Dean lay so still. Arandi cried so much she was sure she was completely dried up. Hector stopped by as well as the other coworkers of Dean's and hers.

She never had to search for anything but the one thing she wanted was just out of reach. She was given a lot of leeway in the ICU she knew how to work her charm when she needed to. There was hardly a thing she wouldn't do to be by Dean.

She even prayed and smiled when she thought of the look that Dean would give her.

Dean spiked a fever nearly a week in as another infection took hold and the pneumonia set in the next day.

Arandi knew the look on the doctor's face. She wanted to run to believe if she didn't hear the words they could never happen. That wasn't how life worked.

Her knees gave out and she wasn't sure who caught her when she was told that they all needed to say goodbye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam was beside himself. The last time he had ever talked to his brother he had hurt him. How was he supposed to live with that?

Mary was a wreck. John caught in anger, frustration, and grief.

Arandi had stopped speaking to everyone and she was going to drop any moment.

He should have waited. Now Arandi was right, there would be no brother to follow him anywhere. No brother to look at him as if he was the best sibling in the world when he was anything but, just the cause of all the pain.

He choked back his own tears. His face red and swollen from the ones that fell anyway. He could hear Dean telling him that he cried so ugly. He would never hear Dean say anything to him again.

He slid to floor and cried until he was empty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi sat holding Dean's hand. She wouldn't sleep she was terrified that he would slip away.

Her heart was hurting so much and everything was a huge jumble. They had never had the family they wanted. They had never gone to Hawaii or the Grand Canyon. Their super real wedding would never happen.

Arandi fell against Dean sobbing uncontrollably. It wasn't right for all life it wasn't right at all.

She fell asleep curled up beside him. When he stopped breathing so would she.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

'You have friends in high places, Deano. Just know that you can't escape me forever.'

Dean took a deep breath and opened his eyes. There was so much pain in his body but something warm slowly moved over him and the pain edged away.

'You have work left to do.' Another voice sifted through his thoughts. Slowly light filled his vision and he could see Arandi sleeping beside him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She woke to fingers in her hair and smiled and stretched. Then she remembered where she was and nearly fell off the bed.

Dean was looking at her with huge scared eyes trying not to panic at the tube down his throat. He'd seen enough TV shows to know panic wouldn't help him.

Arandi screamed for help and the nurses came running. All stopped to see Dean who should by all rights be dead, staring expectantly at them.

The doctor rushed into the room. The tube was removed and every exam in the book was run twice, some even more.

Dean Winchester was a miracle before them. No infections, no pneumonia, the damage nearly completely repaired but he still didn't have his voice.

Arandi didn't care if he never said another word in his life as long as he had a life with her.

He stayed in the hospital another week and then he went home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean watched Arandi sleep. He had had enough unconscious time that he just wanted to be awake. Of course he wanted her awake too but he had to let her get rest.

She had lost some weight and she had looked so sad. He knew how he would have felt if she had nearly died and it bothered him somewhat that Arandi would just let her life go. He loved her beyond words but he didn't want her to just give up like that.

He was one to talk or think whatever. He had family yes but no Arandi was the equivalent of his heart and soul being yanked out of him. He might be alive but he would never really live again.

He sighed and shifted on the bed slowly. She tended to wake fast and in alarm fearing Dean was relapsing.

He knew that he should be dead. She had told him everything although he couldn't respond. He had the barest of memories of something that had happened to him while he slept. Try as he might he couldn't pull it all together.

Something was happening. It was big and without his voice he couldn't really speak his mind. Make it clear the way he could never do in writing.

He suddenly felt as if he wasn't alone with Arandi. He scanned the dimness of their bedroom. The mirror of the dresser had been replaced by Bobby. Dean stared. He could make out the barest of an outline of someone close to their bed.

His heart thudded. His eyes shifting to look where the one casting the reflection should be. Trick of the lights and every other excuse trailed through his mind.

Just as he began to think that he would never be getting any sleep he drifted off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean watched a lot of TV and worked out. He never wanted Arandi out of his sight and well she was there sort of scared that she was dreaming. That she would wake up and Dean would be gone.

She made him pies and they played video games.

When they ate with their family Dean hardly lifted his head at all to anyone but his mom and Bobby.

If he was trying for punishment. He was hitting the nail on the head every damn time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hector let Dean work after the garage closed. He knew Dean wasn't comfortable around people yet. He still got the job done and to Hector for Dean to be standing and breathing on his own he'd do anything.

He hung around the library when Arandi went back to work. No one minded at all because all he did was sit on a computer or read. Arandi was grateful. She really didn't want to be far from him.

Occasionally Bobby or Mary would drag him away to go shopping or eat at Barney's.

Dean always came back smiling. He was better but different and Arandi loved him she would always love him. She just wanted him to be the Dean she married even without a voice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was in the kitchen washing the dishes from their dinner when Dean came in and hugged her from behind. He handed her a letter.

She wiped her hands on a dish towel and took the letter. He had written it.

She began to read and Dean was pretty much explaining that he had done some thinking and that maybe it was best that Sam and Jade did go to Stanford that maybe they would be safe if they stepped out of the life.

"It's a longshot but you're right. Sam would make an incredible lawyer since he doesn't know when to shut up."

Dean snorted. He moved his hands around.

"Jade? She's been talking about law too just another field."

He nodded. More hand movement.

"What choice do I have? I either let her go and still have a sister or force her to stay and lose one."

He pondered that for a minute and then squinted his eyes at her.

"If I said anything would you have listened?"

Dean smiled at that.

"So are you saying you're letting him off the hook?"

Dean shrugged.

"You were waiting to see if he changed his mind huh?"

Another shrug.

"You think we're going to do this to our own kids?"

Dean's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Guess we're letting them go then."

He nodded again and sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

So slowly but surely Dean started letting Sam back in and making nice with dad too.

Everyone missed his voice and his constant chatter.

Arandi watched the wedding video just to hear him again and cried.

The doctor told them that Dean's throat was healing fine and his esophagus and voice box had taken some damage but he should already be able to speak. If he didn't soon then it was probably permanent.

Dean had gotten a little upset but not as much as Arandi expected.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was downstairs working out and Arandi was in the apartment giving it a thorough cleaning when she found the hex bag jammed into the base board behind the sofa.

It hadn't been there before Dean almost died and everything dawned on her.

With all the wards and sigils only someone that wasn't evil and knew the sigils and wards inside and out could get that hex in their apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby popped up to check on the sigils and make sure the shrubs and plants weren't criss crossing and cancelling each other out.

He did that at least once every couple of weeks. He didn't trust anyone else to have his eye for detail.

He was leaning in snipping at the shrubs.

"What did you do, Bobby?" Arandi asked behind him.

He didn't even try to play stupid. "It's not what you think my soul will be intact."

"That is a strong hex. One of the strongest I have ever seen."

He faced Arandi. "I couldn't let him die. Not before he even became a dad. I will never have kids of my own and Dean. Well Dean…..look I've been a hunter a long, long time and I've come across everything. I've killed lots of things and witches and warlocks. There came a time when I learned that things could be easier when you bargained for lives instead of just out right killing the ones that weren't actual killers, you know. So let's just say I have a couple of huge favors owed to me."

"You're not going to get ripped to shreds by a hell hound in ten years or less?"

"No."

Arandi threw herself at Bobby and hugged him hard. "Thank you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You think I'm going to let you cheat because you can't talk?" Arandi humphed. "You're not that adorable."

Dean pouted and blinked his long lashes.

"Oh whatever." Arandi huffed and tossed the controller on the coffee table.

Dean smiled and grabbed her hand before she could go. He pulled her onto his lap and they made out on the sofa.

He kissed her neck getting her all riled up and he put his lips to her ear.

Arandi didn't move when she heard the whispered. "I."

Dean cleared his throat softly and lifted up to lock eyes with her. Nothing but adoration shining through. "I….love….you." He managed. His voice was scratchy and rough but the most beautiful sound in the world.

Arandi wiped away happy tears and then dragged her husband to the bedroom because there were other sounds she was dying to drag out of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He did it with everyone. Just sit and listen then slowly drag out a sentence making everyone stare at him slack jawed.

Sam had picked him up and spun him around when he heard. "Sammy." Again.

He was coming back. Taking forever but still coming back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was in the kitchen deciding what to make for dinner. When Dean came sliding across the floor in his socks and a wooden spoon. Music hit and he belted out "Eye of the Tiger" at the top of his lungs.

She laughed so hard she had to sit on the floor before she peed herself.

He joined her in laughing so she joined him in singing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Halloween arrived with cool weather and for hunters it was the one night a year that monsters could walk among the people and put them in the most danger.

Hunters roamed the streets keeping people as safe as possible.

Dean and Arandi hadn't been on a hunt for months and she wondered nervously if he was up to it.

"Stop looking at me like I'm going to shatter." He muttered. His voice had come back completely just a bit grittier.

"That's fresh coming from you." Arandi snickered.

He rolled his eyes. "Not the same."

"So help me if you say it's because I'm a female….."

He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Great my husband is four."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The night was almost wrapped up and they had had no sightings on their side of town. Dean dragged Arandi to an all-night scary movie marathon at the local theater and managed three movies before Arandi was falling asleep.

They walked back to the car hand in hand when Dean was shoved and Arandi was yanked back.

She had a gun to her head and Dean look terrified for all of five seconds.

"Give me your wallet and the keys to your car." The man demanded.

Dean leaned back on the hood of the Impala. "Dude, you so fucked with the wrong girl."

Arandi had the guy on the ground his arm snapped in two and doubled over with a broken nose.

Dean looked at his watch. "Seven seconds. You're getting slow."

Arandi glared at him and he threw his arms up in surrender. "I'm just saying."

The guy wouldn't stop yelling so Dean kicked him in the face, knocking him cold.

"I was going to dress like a slutty nurse for you but not anymore."

"That's not fair." Dean whined and Arandi laughed. He was getting there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX Warning: Kinky sex ahead. XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Arandi, please." Dean begged stretching the words sinfully as he humped the air.

She was on the phone listening to Bobby try to tell her the cure for Dean's dilemma.

Their first real hunt since the vamps and already they were in deep.

"Arandi, I really hate to tell you this but Dean's been hit with pixie sex pollen and there is only one cure."

She groaned. She didn't mind sex but she knew it couldn't be that easy.

"Look I'll e-mail you what I have 'cause I'm not about to say those words to someone I consider my daughter."

"Please, please, please." Dean whispered in her ear now humping her hip where she was leaning against the Impala.

She waited five minutes then checked her e-mail. His hands roaming all over her and himself.

"Fuck." She muttered.

"Yes, yes, now." Dean groaned. He was humping the car now.

She had been right. It wasn't going to be simple at all and if she didn't do it Dean would die.

A literal fuck or die situation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had never been a quiet lover but now under the influence of the pixie pollen he was downright pornographic.

She was glad that she had decided to rent a room and not go home. Already she had given him three blow jobs and had finally given in to Dean's incessant begging on the side of the road.

Two hours they had gone at it before he finally settled for all of ten minutes. He practically had her bent over at the desk when they were checking in and she just blushed and told the clerk that they were newlyweds.

"Honeymoon sex." Dean had growled and moaned and licked a strip up her throat hotly.

Arandi was sure that the clerk if he wasn't gay had given it a thought the way he stared at Dean's mouth and then ass as he walked away.

Getting the other things she needed was going to be super embarrassing especially since she couldn't leave Dean alone. The clerk might have his fantasies met if Dean ventured to him and well no one got that pleasure but her.

So after letting Dean actually bend her over in the room they headed to a sex store.

She hurriedly bought what she needed. She read a sales sign offering a dildo made out of a mold of your lover's dick. Made in an hour or less for $99.99. What the hell right? If things were going to be overly kinky might as well do it right?

Dean was going to hump everything like a horny hound no matter how long they waited.

He had her pressed against the wall lavishing her with kisses and so hard it looked painful.

"I'll take three of him." A woman said as she walked by them.

Arandi nearly sobbed in relief when she was told her order was ready. That had been interesting. Getting a mold of Dean's dick in a room where just outside there was all these strangers. And Dean had thrust into her hand and howled with relief to be touched again.

"More I need more." He begged.

Arandi paid and she dragged him out and back to their room nearly crashing half a dozen times because Dean couldn't stop touching her. Finally he had just pulled himself out and started an impressive hand job but it wasn't enough.

"Arandi! I feel like I'm dying."

"I got you, baby, I got you. We just gotta get to the room ok?"

"Yes! Room, fuck you so hard gonna make you scream for hours." He moaned. "Fuck you so hard that memory foam will never forget that gorgeous ass of yours."

She might have waited a bit too long by the time they reached the room Dean was looking like he was going to pass out. His entire body nearly steaming with fever. So she put up the do not disturb sign and locked the door. She began to take his clothes off. The second her lips touched him he was back in the game.

Dean just wanted and wanted and Arandi gave and gave. The way he begged even as he moved into her was intoxicating to say the least. And even under the influence of the pixie spell he made sure that she was satisfied.

There wasn't a position he didn't go for and every toy Arandi had bought came into play. She never thought she would live to see the day that she would see Dean split open on his own dick and apparently loving it the way he was thrusting into the bed and keening.

Dean couldn't stop. One orgasm after another and his cock still remained diamond hard and leaking. In his fogged mind he knew that he was hurting Arandi but he couldn't stop.

There was no sleeping and barely time to stuff some chips and run to the bathroom.

"I'm sorry, Arandi." He groaned his hands tight on her hips as pounded into her.

"It's ok, baby, I got you." She replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, please don't." Arandi said hoarsely.

"It will feel good, I promise."

She doubted anything would feel good for a very long time but even as she flinched at the coldness and ache, she did feel better as Dean ever so gently ran the ice chips over her sore lady parts.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"Would you stop apologizing, we made it. It's all good."

Dean looked at her sadly. "It scares me how far you went with this. What if it had lasted longer?"

Arandi tried to suppress the shudder. Three days had been long enough. "Did you want to fuck someone else?"

"No! But I didn't want to make you hate sex either."

"I may not want you to touch me for at least a year but I don't hate sex."

He sighed and nodded. "One year? Got it. Our water bill though is going to be through the roof with all the cold showers I'm going to have to take."

Arandi laughed at that. "Like I've been telling you for countless hours. I've got you."

"I know." 'That's what scares me.' He thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean made sure that Arandi ate to make up for the time she had just stuffed junk food to not starve.

She had no clue that he had crushed a sedative into her soup because he wanted her to rest.

He was wide awake. He had made sure to get fresh linens and then tucked her away.

She had been through so much because of him and to feel that intense love there for him was overwhelming to say the least.

He watched her sleep and he hoped she knew that he loved her just as much if not more.

He tried hard to ignore the sense that it was going to be their undoing.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	25. FORKED PATHS

Sexual content of the kinky kind.

FORKED PATHS

"Happy birthday, baby." Dean grinned ear to ear as Arandi woke up.

She smiled. "Happy birthday, love."

"Our parents have plans for later but right now you are all mine."

He began to kiss her and touch her.

"Mmm, birthday sex." She moaned. He was pushing all the right buttons.

Dean worked his way down kissing and nibbling, letting his tongue wander over her soft warm skin. He knew every one of her hot spots. So he paid them extra attention until he dipped down to take care of her.

She arched and panted. He drew it out until she was breathless from the orgasm that hit her.

"Now that's better than any cake or pie." Dean sighed.

Arandi rolled over. "I don't know let me see." She purred. Pushing him back against the headboard and spreading his legs.

He let out a lewd moan but stopped her.

Arandi eyed him curiously.

"I….um…I was wondering if you would…." Dean stammered.

"Come on, baby, tell me what you want." She said with kitten licks to the tip of his cock.

Dean bucked. His hands clenching the sheets like mad. "Fuck! I want you to fuck me with that dildo, please."

He was flushed from head to toe and Arandi grinned at him wickedly. "You like that, baby, having the perfect ass stuffed with that perfect cock while I suck you dry?"

Dean moaned like a porn star thrusting his hips into the air. "Yeah, yeah, please."

"I will but I want to see you stretch yourself open." Arandi licked again.

"I never…"

"Do it, baby, find out what feels good to you." She insisted as she handed him some lube.

He was so hesitant at first but Arandi help him with the lube and told him to bend his knees. She led his hand to his hole and encouraged him.

Dean remembered Arandi doing it last time so that the stretch of the dildo molded after his own hard cock wouldn't hurt him. This was different and he wasn't sure he could pull it off.

That was until Arandi stretched out beside him and started to do it to herself.

He grabbed the base of his cock before he shot his load.

"Just like that." She said on a moan.

She looked absolutely sizzling doing it and Dean hungrily followed her example.

Arandi watched in rapt fascination as Dean lost all inhibitions and was up to three fingers like a pro. Fuck he was beautiful when he was like this. Finding his own sweet spot and letting out gasping moans.

She finally dragged her eyes away. She needed to get the show on the road before he finished himself. Beside she had a surprise for him.

"Ready?" She asked as she pulled the dildo out of a box hidden in their closet.

"Do it, please, I need…..I fuck….need." He was writhing and gave another gasp as he pulled his fingers free.

He was hot all over, the need to come thrumming through him and he didn't know why he wanted to feel that stretch and burn in his ass but he did and he loved the way Arandi looked doing that to him.

She settled between his legs in the best position to move the dildo in and out and blow him.

He was trembling with need.

She lubed up the dildo and leaned in to kiss and lick just the tip of his cock.

She pressed the tip of the toy barely past the entrance and stopped.

"Fuck." Dean hissed and pushed.

"Stay still." She ordered. She took him in slowly at the same time that she pushed the dildo in and Dean gasped loud and lewd. He didn't dare move so that she wouldn't stop. "Feel good?"

"Yeah …yeah…..please….don't stop." He begged sinfully.

"Not planning on it, baby, not until you come for me."

Dean whined fighting the urge to just start pumping when he felt the base hit home.

"This is how your cock feels, baby." She purred.

He was by far not a small guy and damn.

She took him in her mouth again and started a rhythm of sucking and licking while she moved the dildo in and out.

Dean was a babbling mess in minutes. The sound of sheets ripping made Arandi smile. Yeah that good.

She brought him to the edge over and over and then backed off. He was thrashing desperate to go over and any minute he was going to take the dildo and finish himself.

She smiled around his cock. He was panting in short bursts. She sat up slowly looking at his lust blown eyes and his open mouth slack jawed pleasure.

She wanted to see him when she pulled the surprise.

She pushed the dildo in to the hilt right at his sweet spot and then she switched it on. She had managed to get the same mold made into a vibrating dildo and she was so glad she had.

Dean arched off the bed. Her name ripped from his throat and his release shot all over his stomach and chest.

The aftershocks rolling threw him in delicious waves and he fell limp breathing hard.

"Surprise!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi finally gave their mother's their wedding but they decided to make it even better.

Since basically all Dean and Arandi were doing was renewing their vows they turned it into an all-out family thing. John and Mary would renew vows, Jonathan and Beth as well. Sam and Jade being adults now would get married and so would Johnny and Jo.

It was going to be something else.

"Mind if we add one more." Bobby asked sheepishly.

Ellen had stared at him agape.

"That is if you'll have me."

"You old coot what the hell took you so long." Ellen gushed as she took the ring and kissed Bobby in front of all.

Dean got up and walked away.

"What's wrong, son?" John asked.

"I need to scrub my brain. I just pictured old people sex and…oh God where's the bleach."

"Who you calling old?" Mary groused. "I'll have you know…."

"Mom! Scouring brush, someone please!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There would probably never be anything like it again. Wedding dresses, tuxedos, enough food to feed ten states or Dean, Sam, and Johnny. Nearly the entire town invited plus all the hunters that were considered family just in case anything supernatural decided to try some funny business.

"Honeymoon sex." Dean grinned from ear to ear.

"Dude, shut up." Sam begged. He was going to hurl.

Bobby and Johnny both looked near faint.

"You clean up nice, Bobby." John snickered.

"John, if you want to be able to enjoy your honeymoon sex just don't." Bobby warned.

"Not that again." Dean moaned.

Sam rushed to bathroom.

Dean let his mask slip slightly but Bobby knew him that well. His little brother was getting married and leaving home all within months of each other.

When Sam came out Dean was there. "It will all be behind you in minutes, Sammy, then you'll wonder why you were so nervous."

Sam nodded and spun on his heel right back into the bathroom.

"We kill monsters on a daily basis and this scares you?" Rufus scoffed.

"Where's your wife?" Bobby asked.

"Well, I just….it wasn't…she couldn't…..oh shut up you old geezer."

"You're older than me idjit."

"You wish Rip Van Winkle."

"I'll make sure you sleep for forty years you jackass."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They stood a few feet apart in a semi-circle as the music started. Each bride came out one by one and every man lost his breath.

Renewing or just starting they had gone all out.

Dean stood transfixed when it was Arandi's turn to come to him because she was wearing a real wedding dress this time with the hoop and veil and everything.

Yeah he really could do this over and over.

They had started with Sam and Jade and moved on up by age. Newlyweds first then the renewals.

Thank goodness for video because it was hard to remember anything when you were looking at beauty and handsomeness in kind.

The reception was a hit. So much cake even Dean had to call it quits and enough champagne to really enjoy the night.

Dean watched Sam with Jade and his heart ached. His little brother wasn't so little anymore.

"You dance with Jo while I dance with my brother." Arandi offered.

"You are beautiful, Mrs. Remington." Dean smiled.

Jo blushed. "I still can't believe that I'm married."

"Johnny loves you. You should hear how he gushes about you when you're not around."

"Like you gush about Arandi."

Dean smiled looking at Jo beaming. "She has gone beyond the call, that vixen of mine."

"Never take her for granted."

"I don't think I can. Not without losing parts of me I'm rather attached too."

Jo laughed.

Dean looked at her a feeling flitting through him that confused him. "Enjoy every moment you have."

"We have forever."

Dean blinked hard, his skin goose pimpled.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, peachy, a little too much bubbly." He kissed Jo on the cheek and walked away. He hoped it was just the Champaign making him feel such dread.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stood at the window of his apartment watching Sam load the last of his and Jade's things that would be traveling with them to California.

Arandi was with her sister saying the last of their goodbyes. Dean and Sam had spent the day before together playing pool and getting drunk. Pretending it wasn't the last time they would have that for a long time.

He felt an empty pit in his stomach.

His brother and dad had been back at each other's throats the last couple of weeks and Mary had finally put her foot down.

"You think yelling at him and treating him likes he's still five is going to keep him home?" She growled at John. "He's making a life, John, be proud of him."

Dean knew his mom would never intentionally say anything to hurt him but he still felt the jab.

Sam was making a life while Dean obeyed like the good little soldier that he was.

He watched as Sam found the duffle that Dean had put in the car and he watched Sam rifle through it finding the basic necessities of a hunter. He read the note and smiled.

"You don't have to be a hunter. Just safe." Dean had written.

He hoped that Sam knew that was the only goodbye he could offer. Saying the words would make it too real.

Arandi found him still standing at the window looking at where Sam and Jade's car had been hours before. She knew Dean's pain and she knew his was much stronger.

She helped him to bed when Dean got too drunk to stand. She listened to him cry out to Sammy in his sleep and how she wished she could make it all go away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam drove in silence. Jade sat in the passenger seat reading. He already missed home and they had hardly been on the road an hour.

"I'm having enough trouble not making you turn around, Sam. Stop that moping. We knew it wasn't going to be easy." Jade huffed and tossed the book on the floor board.

"I know. I just thought leaving dad behind was going to be such a relief but instead all I can think is how dad is going too really have it out for Dean."

"He's not going to stay." Jade sighed.

"You know something I don't?"

"Don't act like you don't expect it. You're the reason Dean stayed in the first place."

Sam knew but it was the expecting part so much as the accepting that worried him. He knew Arandi had his brother's back but that was little comfort. While Sam shunned the hunting world, Dean would take it head on.

Seemed as if he didn't do very much to keep Dean safe anymore. Great so added to bustle of college life he was going have small strokes every time his phone rang. Well the one he still had for hunting purposes. Didn't mean he was going to hunt he just needed the contacts in case something blew his way.

Every ring his way could mean tragedy and he knew it.

He sighed hard and squirmed in his seat to get comfortable. They were doing this and everything else had to fall into place day by day. He smiled at Jade and stepped on the gas.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had paced and bitten his nails to the nub worried sick when days later they still hadn't heard from Sam or Jade.

"He's fine." Bobby muttered after getting an acquaintance to check in on them. "College life and moving into an apartment has them pretty busy."

"Two minutes, Bobby, it's all it would have taken. 'I made it in one piece can't talk now but as soon as I can'."

"Sam isn't….."

"Sam isn't me right, Bobby?"

"Don't go trying to pick a fight with me, boy. He left and he's happy so be happy for him."

"You guarantee me that he's a hundred percent safe and then we'll talk."

"He wasn't a hundred percent safe here."

"He had us! He had family!"

"And family is the first ones that will rip your heart out and do the tango on it. So stop all the boo hoo melodrama, princess, and live your life because Sam sure as hell is!" Bobby hated to talk to Dean like that but he couldn't stand to see him wallowing away and dragging Arandi with him.

Dean's furious eyes bore holes into him as he finally turned and walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean slammed the door to the apartment so hard the whole place shook. He paced furiously, his hands in fists.

His dad was at it again and Dean just couldn't take it.

Arandi came in the door soon after and hugged him wanting him to calm down.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't." He seethed.

"We can get our own place somewhere else?"

"That's not what I mean. College is out of the question for me now and yeah I love working on cars but I need something else. I want to make a different kind of difference besides waiting to see how a person who never thought their car would run again hears it purr."

"Ok then what?"

"I want to hunt full time." He blurted out. "Our hunts that we find, you and me. Not what my dad thinks I won't fuck up. You, me, and baby, the open road. Killing things, saving people."

"Is that what you really want?"

"Yeah it is."

"I better start packing then."

"We can pack later. Right now one last hoorah in this place."

"We'll come back?"

"Not for a long time."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean broke the news to his mom first and she took it hard. Jonathan and Beth too.

John was going to have some lonely days and nights because in their eyes it was his fault that they lost all their children almost at the same time.

Mary wanted them to have a goodbye dinner but Dean refused. He was sure he would cave and stay if he had to deal with his mom's sad eyes for too long.

"Don't be a stranger." Bobby mumbled as he helped Dean fill the hidden weapons cache in the Impala.

"You are my research go to now that Sam is at Stanford." Dean assured him.

"When I said get a life, I didn't mean by putting your neck on the line on a daily basis."

"Well, we're not a hundred percent safe anywhere, Bobby, haven't you heard."

"Balls." Bobby huffed. "Don't you dare go using my own words against me, boy."

"I wouldn't dream and no we're not putting our neck on the line every day. Just Mondays, well because their Mondays and Tuesdays because they are too close to Monday. Hump day well that's a given too. Thursday are leading up to the weekend and that's just an invite for danger. We'll take a Sabbath, Bobby, just for you."

"Freakin' Winchesters."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary stood on the porch of the house hugging herself. Already the house was too quiet. Every mother knows they have to face the empty nest but as a hunter and knowing all that was out there it felt worse.

At least Sam was trying to be normal. Dean on the other hand and signed up for war without joining the military. He feared little and that put extreme fear in her.

She sensed John close by and still didn't feel like talking to him.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen." He whispered.

"Didn't you. You shoved both our boys away by trying to make them something they weren't. Sam's a hunter always will be one because he knows what's out there. He'll figure that out soon enough but he's trying to be normal and I'm so proud of him. Dean is the best hunter I have ever seen regardless of all your bullshit nit picking. He's outdone you and it burns your ass so you make him feel like shit and he leaves too just to escape your constant harassment. You're their father not their fucking warden."

"I can talk to them."

"You leave them alone, you've done enough unless you want me to leave too."

John stared at his fuming wife. He didn't dare push his luck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby sighed in annoyance and then pity when he found John swaying drunkenly on his porch.

"I can't get in the tree house." John slurred.

"You can borrow the couch in the study." Bobby huffed. John was a pain in everyone's ass but still his friend.

"Should I make coffee?" Ellen asked from the hallway.

"Just need to sleep." John replied as he walked into the house.

"Mary?"

"She's at the Remingtons and I just needed to be away from them for a bit. I didn't want them to all go like that I just wanted them to be safe."

"Don't get me started on that." Bobby grumbled tossing John a blanket roughly.

"What do I do Bobby? I can't split in three and protect them all. It's just not right." John laid back on the sofa.

"Serves you right."

"They don't even know everything." John murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Bobby asked worriedly.

But John was out for the count.

"Balls."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	26. NIGHTS IN BLACK IMPALA

NIGHTS IN BLACK IMPALA

And thus life on the road began. Traveling, staying in different places, killing evil. The usual. If you happened to be a supernatural hunter anyway.

Dean watched for signs that Arandi might be miserable but she was enjoying herself. Perfectly content as long as they were together and saving actual lives.

Curious as hell on how many miles they could put into the already over forty-year-old Impala that Dean kept running like new.

Their parents had given them a nice chunk of money to live off but Dean intended to still add to it every chance he got. Hustling pool and poker. The occasional pick pocket deal if he thought the person had more than enough to share and were being dicks about it.

Credit card scams because the thieving bastards more than made up for it with the interest they charged.

He could rough it if he had to but not his wife. She deserved the best especially for putting up with his idea of a 'career.'

No mundane day to day job just saving lives. Unsung heroes but heroes none the less.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What the fuck is that thing?" Dean yelled as he weaved through the trees. "And how in the hell does it move so fast." He ducked half a second before a clawed hand nearly three time the size of his head swooped down crushing a small tree like Styrofoam. Dean cut left and then back right.

"That's an ogre." Rufus answered breathless somewhere to Dean's right.

Dean stopped behind a large tree as the thing continued to rampage through the woods in search of the hunters. With a nose the size of football he doubted they wouldn't be sniffed out pretty quickly.

"An ogre? You said we were hunting tree sprites, Rufus. Just explain to me how you mix up a three-inch creature with a ten-foot creature?"

"I did no such thing. I just got the locations crossed. Besides ogres can take on regular human features to get by people." Rufus explained as if it was normal and alright to go into a hunt with the wrong facts and wrong weapons.

"No wonder you have permanent Bobby prints around your throat." Dean muttered.

"I heard that, boy."

Dean mocked him. He'd never think Bobby over exaggerated again.

The crashing grew louder again.

Dean nearly jumped out of skin as Arandi skidded to stop beside him.

"Silver kills it but it has to hit the brain. Bobby said that the ogre's head is too thick for bullets to penetrate far enough to kill it. It would have to be an eye shot."

"Of course it has to be an eye shot for a fucking thing that is ten feet tall!" Dean whispered harshly and punched the air for emphasis.

"You climb up in that tree and I'll bring it to you."

Dean was about to protest even though she had such incredible faith in his shooting abilities. More crashing came from the other side. "Fucking great, there's two of them. Anything else we should know, Rufus?" The man was getting punched. He so was.

"No. Just that they have been taking children and they might still be alive."

"Is he serious?" Dean looked at Arandi exasperated. "Is he fucking serious?"

"Just get ready." She said as she took off running before Dean tried to talk her out of it and or killed Rufus with his bare hands.

"Son of a bitch." He hissed and scrambled up the tree.

Both ogres came into sight and Arandi was zig zagging through the trees. Dean nearly fell when a clawed hand missed her by a breath. She headed straight for him.

He cracked his neck and calmed himself. He hooked his knees over a branch and swung. He came down upside down and fired. The first ogre crumpled like a house of cards making the earth shake.

The second ogre reached for him and yanked him from the tree, tossing him like a rag doll.

He scrambled with his back to a tree but he had dropped his gun.

"Oh fuck this is going to hurt."

The ogre's claws touched his face like a caress and then Arandi was flipping high into the air coming down directly between Dean and the ogre. In a flash her silver dagger came up through the ogre's throat straight to its brain. One strong twist for good measure.

It fell back dead.

"Timber." Dean said as he wiped his hand down his face. The tiny scratches the thing had managed stung. His wife ruled.

"Xena has nothing on you, honey." Rufus smiled where he stood with one foot on an ogre. Like he had been the one to kill it.

Arandi kneeled by Dean cupping his face in both her hands and looking into his eyes. She was making sure he was ok. Making sure that he didn't make Rufus an 'accidental' casualty. She knew him too well

He smiled. "Don't worry, there's only one of you, unfortunately." He saw Rufus open his mouth and Dean raised his hand. "If you say it I can and will make it look like an accident." He added a growl to get the point across.

Rufus's mouth snapped shut for a moment as he scratched his head. "I'm going to go get the salt and gas."

"Kids, Rufus." Dean sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Kids?"

"We need to look for the kids before we burn down the woods."

"Oh yeah."

"How in the hell has he survived this long?" Dean huffed to Arandi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They ended up finding seven children still alive in a small cramped cave. It was too far for them to walk into town especially since most of them were hurt and or weak from hunger and probably drugged to keep them quiet.

Arandi took the kids to the highway in the Impala while Dean and Rufus did away with the ogre's bodies. She called 911 and waited just out of sight until rescue arrived.

The kids had been too out of it to coach so they had to take their chances.

She watched as parents arrived and most of them found who they were looking for others stood by grieving while they were told there was still a chance their kids were lost in the woods.

Arandi knew better. She had almost lost her lunch when she had seen the pile of small bones and skulls. She knew it had hit Dean hard too.

She wiped away the tears from her face angrily. They should have been able to save them all. What the hell were people doing while one kid after another disappeared?

This was why they did what they did. To save those that they could and hope that not too many had died. That was the one set back of their job, there always had to victims for them to be able find the monsters and it was never harder than when it was children.

She sighed loudly and headed back to get Dean and Rufus.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean tried hard to cover the anxiety roaring inside of him. Their lives were hard enough. Hunting monsters that went after children burned him inside and out.

Arandi had been quiet since she had picked them up and gone back to their motel room. Rufus had left jabbering away but Dean had seen the sorrow in his eyes.

Children. You had to have no soul to not be affected. Arandi had seen the people grieving and Dean felt bad for letting her go alone. It was just how things had worked.

Freshly showered they picked at their food at the small table. Dean finally just pushed it away and stood up. He pulled her to her feet and walked to the bed. He sat and leaned back against the headboard then pulled her onto his lap and hugged her hard as she curled up against him.

They didn't have to talk. They knew what the other was feeling and the guilt of the fact that in few days it would be behind them. It was a fact of a hunter's life. After seeing so much evil it just became everyday life. Filed away under 'fucked up shit to deal with never'.

Sometimes that sucked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie Jonas worked the graveyard shift at Luke's 24-hour Diner. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only because she made great tips. Everyone ate there after partying because it was the only place for miles that stayed open.

The rest of the week she went to school but that didn't pay for itself. She was going to be a nurse and she was going to marry a doctor. So she had to work her ass off to get there. Three nights at the diner, a couple of hours every day at the animal shelter. She made it, by the skin of her teeth, but she made it.

Her apartment wasn't all that but it was hers. Furnished from thrift stores and garage sales and stuff some of her friends and coworkers passed on to her. She had no family left once her mom had passed from cancer a couple of years before. Another reason she wanted to be a nurse.

Luke and his wife Linda were great people to work for and the food they served was pretty damn good for a side of the road diner. Food which she got to take home with her at the end of her shifts because Luke hated food to go to waste and he hated it even more to see people struggle.

Maggie still had her pride though. So she didn't take up Linda's offer to drop by during the rest of the week if she needed anything, at least not all the time. Hey hunger was a bitch.

Her car had given up on her months ago and she couldn't afford to get it fixed. So she had to walk three miles to the diner, five to the community college. The animal shelter was a few blocks from there and thankfully everything else she needed was between those places and home.

Linda almost always had to drop by just as Maggie's shift ended and Maggie didn't want to be rude not to mention having been on her feet for twelve to fourteen hours.

Just because she was blonde didn't mean she was stupid.

She would probably be there to take her to work too but Linda had another job besides tending to Luke and the diner. Sometimes her neighbors would take her or a coworker would swing by to get her.

Bad weather was the only way that Maggie forked over the ridiculous cab rates.

She had made friends, she had her regulars, so she had to be careful what she said. When people helped her out she almost felt as if they had thought she was begging or something. She hated the thought of pity.

Like people leaving her more tip than she thought she deserved. People that knew the first of the month was tight because nearly all her bills were due.

She had paid her rent and had to replace her laptop for school, thank God for Aaron's. Yeah she ended up paying twice what the laptop was worth but weekly payments was the only way she could afford it.

After it all she had had a grand total of twelve dollars to spend on groceries. She had run into one of her morning regulars and it must have showed on her face as she picked up Raman noodles and three for a dollar mac and cheese, and the cheapest generic drink mix. She picked up a four-dollar pack of six pork chops and dug through the lettuce bin until she found the hugest one at eighty-six cents so that she could pull at least three small salads out of it. She hoped the bottle ranch in her fridge would last that long. She was going to hate pasta by the end of the week but it was buy two get two with the in store coupon and free canned sauce, hooray. Then she remembered that she needed toilet paper and shampoo. She maybe had two or three squeezes of tooth paste left and her period was coming any day now and she had three tampons left.

She could snag toilet paper from work and the library if she got desperate enough but she had only been that desperate once before and she had replaced it the moment she was able too.

She had stopped where she stood and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. Suddenly her regular was in front of her.

"I think you dropped this." He said holding out a twenty.

"No, it's not mine." Maggie sputtered.

"You're the only one here, has to be yours." He insisted.

Maggie was about to argue the point. She hated pity but she hated hunger and being dirty more. She took the twenty. "Thank you, Roger."

"Oh honey, don't thank me for what was already yours." He walked away with a content smile.

Honestly she did feel better to get what she needed and Roger was getting extra whipped cream on his pie forever.

She headed to feminine products.

A woman not much older than Maggie stood staring at the products. Maggie had what she called one of her 'maybe I might be gay' moments when she noticed how beautiful the raven haired beauty was standing there with finger at her mouth.

"Choices, right?" Maggie said as she stepped close to the woman to do just that, choose. The cheapest crap she could get her hands on at the moment.

The woman smiled. "I know. It's like every time I turn around something is new and improved."

Maggie knew exactly what she wanted but even with the twenty she was pushing it.

She picked up the box anyway just to see if the price might miraculously be two dollars less.

"I have a coupon for the bigger box." The other woman piped up. "Buy one get one."

The bigger box would get Maggie through two cycles at least but…

"Tell you what I'll buy them I'll give you the second box."

Maggie made to protest but that wasn't going to happen once her eyes locked on the most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen. Made her own look like dead fish eyes in comparison and Maggie had never felt insecure about her looks. Well maybe once or twice.

"Consider it your lucky day." The beauty smiled.

If her lack of funds showed on her face she hoped falling love didn't show too. She nodded dumbly.

Lucky day it was because before she could open her mouth and probably spew a mess of nonsense a man joined the woman. So hot Maggie's mouth watered. She made sure it wasn't hanging open because damn.

'Please let it be her brother, please let it be her brother.' Maggie's mind screamed. Even though they were dressed nearly identically in jeans, white t-shirts and black leather jackets. The man though wore a blue and black plaid flannel too.

Her luck had to end eventually as she watched the tall green eyed 'had to be a male model' wrap his arms around the woman and kiss her like Maggie wasn't right there wide eyed and oxygen wasn't needed.

He pulled back. "How long does it take to find what you need, baby?" He asked still wrapped around her like she might float away.

"I was talking to Maggie." She said.

"How did you….?"

The woman smiled and pointed at her jacket which had Maggie's, brightly for all the world to see, name stitched on the front of it.

Maggie blushed. 'Sure make a fool of yourself in front of the most beautiful people ever.' She scolded herself silently.

"I'm Arandi, this is my husband Dean."

Even her gay dreams were crushed. Married of course. She nodded again. Maybe they did threesomes. She bit her tongue before it actually spewed from her mouth. Where did this crap come from? She hadn't never even cracked open a dirty magazine in her life. Well maybe once or twice.

"I'll go pay for these and meet you by the door." Arandi said.

"I just got a couple more things to get." Maggie said trying to sound normal. Not only were those sapphire blue eyes searing her soul but now emerald green had joined the torture. They must have had a two for one gem special when those two were made.

"No rush." Dean smiled. "It's raining cats and dogs probably a couple of small cattle out there."

"Crap." Maggie huffed. Not only did she have to walk in this crap with her meager groceries but Gus at the shelter wouldn't let her work which meant even less funds.

Both sets of eyes looked at her curiously.

"My car broke down and I have to walk. Weather man said it was going to be a cool but sunny day. Lying bastard."

Quick silent exchange. "Don't worry. We'll give you a ride." Arandi smiled. "We're not serial killers."

"Not this week anyway." Dean said as he winked at Maggie and kissed his wife and sauntered away.

Death by those hands might not be the worst way to die.

"He's going to bring the car around. I have to grab a couple of things too so meet you by the door."

Maggie had a ride so she doubled her efforts to finish up adding in her head so she wouldn't go over.

Arandi was in front of her at the check-out a couple of six packs and chips, M&M's with peanuts the rest of her things already bagged.

Maggie watched as Dean parked a beauty of classic as close to the doors as he could possibly get and even though there was no way that Arandi would get wet he got out in the rain and grabbed her bags to take out.

"Chivalry hasn't completely died." The middle aged cashier also clearly smitten with Dean smiled wide.

"My lady deserves it all besides there are certain times of the month I take great precaution on staying whole."

Arandi's cheeks pinked up as the cashier, Maggie, and the bag boy chuckled.

"He's a keeper." The cashier sighed.

"Yeah, he is." Arandi's smile grew larger. Her eyes soft and fond on Dean as he walked out.

"How long have you been together?" Maggie asked as she stared at Dean out the doors. They weren't very old. Maybe they would separate in the next five minutes and she could live one fantasy in her life. With either of them, she wasn't picky.

"Literally forever. We were born on the same day in the same hospital and our parents became friends then neighbors so there hasn't been a day in our lives that we haven't been together."

"So romantic." The cashier gushed.

"Future Hallmark movie." The bag boy chuckled.

Maggie sighed. Years and years together and they still looked at each other like they were barely falling in love. Maybe she wouldn't marry a doctor after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Both of them helped Maggie unload her things although she was used to handling more than she had today on foot.

Dean had looked at Arandi like if one drop of water hit her she might catch pneumonia.

Maggie hoped someday some man would look at her with at least half that much concern and fire. Wouldn't hurt if he if he looked like Dean too. Maybe he had a brother.

"We're in town for a couple of days so if you want Dean can check out your car." Arandi offered.

"I had a guy look at it, he said there was no hope."

"Trust me when I tell you my husband is magic with his hands."

"And she doesn't mean just cars." Dean smiled wickedly and winked at Maggie again. He was wrapped around Arandi like a hard habit to break.

"Sure, I'll leave the keys under the seat for when the rain clears up but if you do get her running I don't have a way to pay you."

"Just the fact that you called your car her is good enough payment."

"He cheats on me with that Impala I know he does." Arandi fussed playfully.

"You get the best of me. Baby gets leftovers." Dean grinned slyly.

Maggie stood still afraid they were going to start making out in her living room. "I work at Luke's Diner if you're still here over the weekend swing by after six and I'll get you some free pie."

"You hit him where he lives." Arandi chuckled at Dean's expectant look.

"We will be there…" Dean began.

"If we can." Arandi finished. "Let's get going."

Dean walked into the hall first and Arandi stopped at the door. "Um I had a lot of buy one get one coupons so don't sweat the extras." She smiled and closed the door.

Maggie found out what she meant as she started to put away things and found two large boxes of tampons, cereal, milk, eggs, bacon, bread, and more. Just about everything she hadn't had enough to buy. She felt a chill go through her.

How did they know?

How in the hell hadn't she noticed all the extra bags?

She was set for a couple of weeks at least on food.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A couple of days later as Maggie rushed out the door for school she almost missed the fact that her car had been moved. Now that she looked at it, it was spectacularly shiny.

She was going to be late if she didn't get a move on but a note on the windshield caught her attention.

'Runs like a dream' D and A. That was it. That was all the note said even as she scanned over the car and could tell it had new tires and windshield wipers. Had been waxed and looked better than it did when she bought the silver Toyota Camry used.

She was going to drive right up to Scott and ask him 'what the hell?' for telling her the car had no chance. That was if it wasn't some prank.

"Who was that hunk of a mechanic?" She heard her gay neighbor Lance ask behind her.

"He's married, Lance." Maggie said as she got behind the wheel.

"Honey, the best of them are but some still like to pretend they're not."

"Not this one. He is loyal to a fault."

A loud sigh.

She turned the key and could hardly believe it when it turned over on the first try. It sounded like it was purring.

She started to laugh happily as tears ran down her face and the bad thoughts pushed through. Now she would have a car insurance payment and at her age that was killer. She had to worry about gas and she opened the glove box to try to find an old insurance card but instead found a brand new one with her name and saying it didn't expire for a year.

How did they do that without her driver's license and well her being there? Behind that she found an envelope she didn't recognize and she sat back in awe two-hundred-dollar gas cards, all her utilities paid and her phone with unbelievable paid ahead balances.

Her laptop had been paid off and there was paperwork for a fifty-inch TV and a living room set, a bedroom set which she needed so badly. All paid and to be delivered later that day.

Why? Why her?

She hoped they showed up at Luke's because she was going to kiss both of them on the lips consequences be damned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi never showed up to Maggie's disappointment but things were running so smooth now that she didn't have so many things to worry about. She had plenty of time now to save money and not get behind on anything. Her apartment looked amazing now.

On top of everything else her rent had been paid up for six months as well and she had come home to a boat load of groceries waiting for her.

Hank her landlord had let her 'Cousin Stan' into the apartment. He had wanted to surprise her. Hank had fallen victim to the charm and she was so glad Dean wasn't a crazed killer.

She had everything that she had been praying for now. She gave a hysterical little laugh when she realized that she would be a nurse by the time her bills came due again. One month into the job that was already waiting for her.

Thanks to running into two beautiful strangers, she was set.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Having a car Maggie was now able to have time for other things. So she could do her laundry while it was still daylight and not before she crashed in the middle of the night.

She had a car but she decided that she would take walks around the block to stay in shape. She had gotten home early enough to be able to make some lasagna and garlic bread and watch her favorited TV shows since she no longer worked at the shelter her nights except the weekend were free. She was all caught up on her homework for the time being. Hell she had done somethings ahead of time since someone had managed to get a peek at the lecturer's assignment book.

That wasn't cheating. It was learning things ahead of schedule.

She looked at the time and realized that she still had about an hour before her shows started so she decided to take her walk and get home shower and then kick back with some popcorn.

She was passing the park when she stopped. She never listened to her music when she walked too afraid she wouldn't hear a horn or something and die listening to Metallica.

She listened and this time she heard it. A cry for help. She reached for her phone and realized with a bit of dread that it still sat on the bar in her kitchen. A bad habit she had.

"Help! Help me please!"

"Crap." She really prayed that she wouldn't regret this. She headed into the woods.

She was almost a registered nurse so she could help.

She stumbled along until finally she saw someone huddled on the ground.

She automatically kneeled by the person ready to render aid. She didn't know whether to scream or pinch herself awake when the face she was looking into was her own.

She stood up and backed away until she backed into something that wasn't a tree.

Her look alike sneered at her. "Oh Maggie, Maggie." The sound of her own voice made her skin crawl. "Welcome to the last day of your life."

Whoever was behind her wrapped their hands around her neck.

"Don't fret though, your life will have so much meaning. After all once I take your place I will be able to feed my family at the hospital and after they finally catch on its Maggie Jonas whose name will go down especially after she vanishes into thin air.

"This…. this…." Maggie stammered.

"It's not a dream and you get to be tonight's meal."

Maggie started to scream but the hands around her began to squeeze.

"Just let her black out. I like my blood still pumping." The other Maggie sneered.

"Oh look, babe, a party and we weren't invited." Dean's voice cut into the night.

Maggie heard a loud whoosh and suddenly the hands that had been on her fell away.

Dean grabbed her arm and pushed her toward a boulder. "Just wait right here." He was gone.

Maggie wanted nothing more than to cover her ears and eyes, morbid curiosity got the best of her and she peaked out.

Now the small clearing was full of people or things whatever going at Dean and Arandi including her look alike.

She recognized some of the faces and she played the words of the other Maggie in her head. Others had already been replaced which meant people she knew were dead.

She was going to be sick then hysterical any minute. Not necessarily in that order.

She watched as Dean and Arandi took down one after another. Heads rolling and the nurse part of her wanted them to stop but the other part of her that was still sort of scared of the dark and wouldn't go in a basement alone if they paid her knew whatever Dean and Arandi were killing were not human.

She gasped when Arandi was picked up like nothing tossed hard into a tree and lay dazed on the ground.

"Arandi!" Dean called out still trying to stay in one piece and get to her before she was hurt more.

Then he was flying but as soon as he hit the ground he was crawling to Arandi and throwing himself over her.

There were only four left now. Somehow Dean took out one with a one armed swing while her look alike kicked him square in the face but Dean's furious eyes closed in on her.

"That all you got, bitch." He hissed.

The other two grabbed his arms and yanked him to his feet.

The other Maggie squatted down by Arandi and pulled a dagger from her jeans.

Slowly with her eyes on Dean she cut onto Arandi's arm and Dean went ballistic. Kicking and screaming. "Leave her alone! You fugly bitch get away from her. You want fresh blood you take mine!"

The second Maggie licked the cut her eyes not leaving Dean. "I can have you both and I will." She stood up. Dean stopped struggling staring into dead eyes.

The second Maggie took the dagger and with tip started pushing it into Dean's stomach.

He gritted his teeth but didn't make a sound even as the dagger tore through his shirt and broke skin and went further into him. His eyes glaring at the monster.

Suddenly that Maggie was on the ground eating dirt as Arandi got her second wind and surged. They rolled on the ground while Dean tried to pull free.

Not human Maggie jumped to her feet kicking Arandi in the ribs as she rolled to stand also.

"You fucking hunters." The monster screamed.

"You're killing people. Innocent people and that stops now." Arandi hissed.

"I'll kill some inmates in your honor."

Dean let himself fall to his ass throwing the two men off balance and they stumbled into each other. Dean rolled and grabbed his machete killing one then wrestling with other.

Arandi stood straight and flicked her eyes slightly with a satisfied smirk. "Don't think you'll be killing anything again."

The monster opened her mouth to speak but her head rolled in the next moment. Original Maggie stood with Arandi's machete breathing hard and staring at what she had just done.

Dean took the final head and instantly moved to wrap his handkerchief around Arandi's cut.

Maggie looked at them. "Please tell me I don't really sound like that and this better be candid camera."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The short drive back to Maggie's apartment seemed like miles as she played everything in her mind. She was either in shock or truly handling crap better than she ever expected.

She hadn't quite had a panic attack yet but it was right there threatening.

Inside her apartment. Arandi sat calmly on a stool while Dean checked every inch of her for injuries. Stopping only to tend to whatever he found that he was sure needed to be bandaged or sutured.

He cussed like a sailor denied shore leave when he spotted the bruises on her torso never mind that blood was saturating his shirt from the blood from his own wound.

Maggie noticed with keen eyes that he was better than most doctors.

"Nothing's broken, I swear." Arandi murmured.

Maggie excused herself to shower and when she came back. Arandi was the one checking Dean. His shirt was off and Maggie nearly gasped out loud.

He was ten times worse than Arandi including the dagger that had gone in a lot deeper than Maggie had initially thought. Arandi shot her a look that said 'That's what Dean does.'

He sat with his eyes closed. He was humming and Maggie made out Metallica.

"It's gonna burn." Arandi stated before she poured what Maggie assumed was alcohol onto the stab wound.

"Really? I never would have guessed." Came the snarky reply.

Arandi pursed her lips and Dean seemed to sense it. He opened his eyes and pulled her forehead to his. "Sorry, love, sorry." He whispered.

She nodded and got back to work.

Maggie knew that alcohol was going to burn like a bitch and as Arandi poured Dean tensed up but didn't make a peep.

Maggie shivered. How did someone get used that kind of pain?

"I need to check the rest of him if we can borrow your bathroom."

"After what you did tonight you can have my first born." Maggie huffed.

"Never say things like that out loud." Dean said his eyes locked on hers. It was said too seriously to not scare her.

They disappeared into her bathroom with their duffels. Maggie made coffee and pulled out some left over fried chicken and potato salad and pie.

Might as well be prepared because she knew they were staying to talk her through whatever this thing was that had happened.

Arandi came out first freshly showered in clean jeans and a tank top. She sat at the bar where Maggie waited with the food and coffee.

Dean limped out a few minutes later and Maggie grabbed an ice pack and handed it to him.

He smiled gratefully and put it on his knee.

He pulled a bottle of whiskey from his duffel. "You mind?" He asked Maggie.

"Don't mind if I do."

Dean added the perfect amount to their coffee.

"These people they are going to be reported missing then what? Shouldn't their family have closure?"

"First of all who's gonna believe you? Second do you really think finding out this truth would provide closure?" Dean asked solemnly.

Maggie shook her head. "Just tell me what I need to do. How do I pretend that I didn't just help you burn bodies of…non humans in the woods? How did they burn so easily? I'm having nightmares forever."

For the next few hours Dean and Arandi explained everything to her. She asked questions.

"Why did you do all these things for me?"

"Well we were hoping you'd stop walking since your becoming a nurse made you a prime victim. You would have thought we were insane if we tried to explain beforehand."

"Trust me I'm buying a treadmill." Maggie huffed. "This is what you do? Find those things…those…?"

"They were Kergan's sort of a shapeshifter but they have to feed on humans to survive. They take people's places and live like that until too many deaths come up they run. The last person they were taking the fall." Arandi explained.

"Shapeshifter? You hunt other things?"

"There are a lot of things you wouldn't even begin to believe or understand out there."

"I don't understand why anyone would chase monsters on purpose but thank you. Thank you for saving my life."

Dean and Arandi both blushed.

"I take it you don't get many of those."

"Most of the time people don't even realize they've been saved." Dean mumbled tiredly.

"There's more of you?"

"A handful in every state. Both of our families."

Maggie thought hard. "Keep in touch with me please. If any of them can use medical help I'll be here. Although from what I saw you two would put professionals to shame."

"Thank you." Dean and Arandi said in unison.

"Please stay and rest." Maggie offered. "My new sofa turns into a bed. Didn't really think it would have any use but looks like I was wrong."

She helped Arandi make the bed up after a lecture to Dean to not push it.

Maggie headed to her own bed pretty sure she wouldn't get much sleep after all the coffee but she was wrong.

A couple of hours later she woke needing the bathroom for the same reason she thought was going to keep her from sleeping. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she made her way down the small hall.

The low whispers told her that her guests were still awake.

She listened to make sure nothing was wrong.

"Dean, you're running a fever." Arandi said in a concerned whisper. "You could be getting an infection."

"I'm fine, baby, besides you're always telling me how hot I am."

"Dean." Like pleading.

Loud sigh. "Fine give me the damn pills."

"Thank you."

Unintelligible grumbling.

"I love you."

"These things make me drag ass and you know it."

"Nothing's going to happen."

"I can't protect you….and…."

Sounds of meeting lips. "Fuck, Arandi, I took the pills now stop teasing."

"Be quiet, she's in the bathroom."

"Wanna invite her in on a threesome."

Loud connecting smack.

"Ow, what the fuck, Arandi, you know I was joking. You know…"

Loud creaking of someone turning harshly on the sofa bed.

"Arandi, baby?"

"Go to sleep, Dean."

"Fuck, Arandi, if you don't know by now that I wouldn't let anyone else touch me like that then you're never gonna figure it out. Hell I wouldn't even let her touch you like that as hot as it would be. Don't hit me!"

Silence.

"Arandi?"

Nothing.

"Baby?"

Still quiet.

A few minutes slid by.

Soft moan from Dean. "Arandi…. I….don't feel….so good."

The bed creaked loudly again.

"Dean?"

"I…."

"Crap." Arandi jumped from the bed and grabbed the trash can close by.

Loud retching noises followed.

Arandi whispered soft reassurances.

Maggie finally ventured into the hallway. "Is everything ok?"

"Dean's not feeling good." Arandi said worriedly. "He's really hot."

He continued to throw up.

Maggie got her ear thermometer and handed it to Arandi she valued her hands too much to try to touch Dean.

"Fuck, 103." Arandi hissed. "Dean, baby?"

Dean had gone still. He was still turned over the trash can.

Maggie picked up the pain killers Arandi had probably give him. "They probably got into his system before he threw up, these work pretty fast."

Arandi nodded and turned Dean over slowly.

Maggie brought her a wet washcloth.

Arandi gently cleaned him up. Laid her head on his chest just to make sure. "His heart is beating fast."

"Fever can do that."

"He hates those damn pills." Arandi fussed her eyes getting bright.

"They have his name on them." Maggie stated as if she was surprised by that fact.

"I nearly lost him." Arandi said sadly carding her fingers through his hair. The love in her eyes like static in the air.

Maggie's chest ached. She hoped someday she would find someone to love so much.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie startled awake. It was past ten in the morning and she still felt as if she could sleep for hours more.

The smell of food made her stomach growl. She stumbled out of bed and ventured into the living room.

The sofa bed was put up and Dean and Arandi were dressed together in the kitchen making breakfast.

Arandi flipped pancakes while Dean had his hands on her hips and kissed her neck, whispering things that were making her smirk wickedly.

Maggie made herself known.

Dean only lifted his head and smiled. Still looking a bit pale and worn.

"Morning." He said cheerfully. One more kiss and then a loud smack on Arandi's ass that made her squeal and turn beat red.

"Feeling better?" Maggie grinned and took a seat at the bar.

"Sore as hell and stiff but I've had worse." Dean stretched onto his toes and Maggie had to remember he wasn't hers to look at.

Even with a bruised cheek and busted lip he was hotter than hell.

They ate breakfast together and went over a few things more. Including the importance of salt, iron, and symbols.

They exchanged numbers and they told her they changed theirs often but they would always text her the new ones. If she needed anything that made her feel unsafe.

In other words, don't call unless a monster is breathing down your neck. "Don't be strangers." Maggie said as they got ready to leave.

They both smiled and nodded.

She wondered if she would ever see them again. She gave each a long hug.

She looked out the window so that she could watch them drive away in the beauty of a car. Dean tossed their duffels into the trunk and Arandi pushed him back against the car and mauled him.

For a minute she thought they were actually going to give the neighborhood a show.

When Arandi pulled back Dean stayed lazing against the car smiling like a loon. Then his eyes drifted up to Maggie and he winked.

Maggie's face burned even if he could barely see her and Arandi winked at her too. Lance walked by with his chiweenie and Dean winked at him as he got in the Impala.

Maggie sighed. She was going to hear about it for weeks and she was so getting laid tonight.

Later as she left to keep that promise. She stopped when she opened her door.

There was a treadmill with a huge ribbon on it and a gift bag filled with gift cards for everything she could need.

She began to cry. They had saved her life and they were still giving her all the hope she could possibly need.

"Bless them lord and send your angels to watch over them." She whispered.

"I'm supposed to help you get that inside." A tall handsome brunette said with a gorgeous smile and twinkling green eyes.

Maggie blushed to her toes.

"I'm your new neighbor, Rob. Single and new to this town maybe you can show me around."

Maggie smiled. It was looking like she wasn't going to have to go out after all to keep her promise to herself.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	27. NEXT

Warning: Kinky sex. (Yes again.) Same sex, sex. Not your thing turn away now.

NEXT

Maggie safely behind them they headed to the motel where they had been staying to get the rest of their things.

The hunt done, they felt better getting some distance in the rear view.

Arandi though knew her husband. "I'm driving and I don't want to hear any lip."

Dean raised an eyebrow.

"You put on a good show for Maggie but I know you when you feel like crap and think you're covering so that I won't worry. You were pretty sick last night, love, don't push it just to impress."

Dean instantly sagged with a sigh. "Nothing a little sleep and cuddling with my wife won't cure."

"Cuddling only. All that steamy stuff you were whispering in Maggie's kitchen we'll pick up later."

He nodded. He felt that crummy that it sounded like the best deal in the world. He hated though the instant panicked look on Arandi's face when he agreed so readily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi placed the cool wash cloth on Dean's forehead. His fever was up again and he had begun to thrash in his sleep.

He groaned as the coolness touched him and moved his head back and forth.

"It's going to help you, love." Arandi murmured softly.

Glazed green eyes opened slightly to look at her. "It's not an infection. Not one that will kill me anyway."

"Even now you're a stubborn ass."

"I know the difference, trust me."

She knew that he did but that didn't mean she enjoyed seeing him sick.

"Get some rest." He said tiredly. "Please." He added as his eyes drifted shut.

"Soon as your fever goes down."

"Yet I'm the stubborn one." He whispered.

"Learned from the best."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX ONE WEEK LATER XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You have fucking got to be kidding me." Dean growled as he stared at his phone. He was barely getting back to normal and now this.

"What is it?" Arandi asked from where she sat in the Impala waiting for Dean to finish pumping gas.

"My dad has the audacity to send me coordinates for a hunt."

"You don't have to follow them." Arandi said but was already pulling the map from the glove box.

"If there's lives to be saved do I have a choice?"

She would argue that he did but the point would be mute.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean paced Bobby's front yard furiously. "He sends me coordinates to a witch. Doesn't bother to tell me she's a fucking high priestess so that I can be prepared. No, he sends me in blind. So that I can get the blame for fucking up."

"You killed her though right?" Bobby asked hopeful. One too many hunters had fallen for the beautiful witch and had failed and died. Dean had been John's hope since Dean was so in love with Arandi that the witch wouldn't even ping his radar. The power of true love and all that.

"She's dead, Bobby, but you better figure out how to get me out of this curse!" Dean yelled.

"I'm on it." Bobby turned tail to head inside and start.

Dean got in the Impala and burned rubber out of Bobby and Ellen's place.

"Why does everything happen to Dean Winchester?" Ellen drawled.

"He's a magnet for trouble, injuries, and curses. "This one though is kind of funny."

Ellen laughed. "He's still so pretty."

"How hard you think he woulda hit me if I'd called him Deana."

Ellen shook her head. "I kinda like you in one piece, old man."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean laid his head against the steering wheel. Not looking forward to going in the motel room and facing Arandi.

He had taken out his frustrations on her when he woke up from killing the priestess and found himself gender bent.

It was just plain wrong for his dick to be gone like it had never been there.

He got out of the car and squirmed. He had to borrow clothes from Arandi and though in female form he was shorter, his breasts and hips were a tad bit more there. Arandi's clothes fit snug but he could get used to the lacy under garments. His lashes had always been long and now even more ridiculous. Long dirty blond hair was going to take some getting used too.

He wanted to walk like normal but his hips had minds of their own. He glared at a guy staring approvingly.

Arandi was sitting leaned back against the headboard of the bed flipping channels as he walked in and closed the door.

She stood up and headed into the small kitchenette and grabbed two beers. She handed him one after she opened it and he took it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take this out on you. You told me not to listen to my dad…..."

"I'm not mad, baby, I totally get you being upset." She said too easily. She tucked a now long strand of his hair behind his ear.

Dean's heart fluttered. Arandi was giving him that look that made him hotter than a two-dollar pistol on the hottest day in July.

"I…really…. you want too?" He whispered. His female voice a little too soft, a little too shy.

"Oh yeah I want to so I can show you how good it feels." Arandi purred.

"Yeah, yeah, ok, ok." Dean breathed a hot tingle of need spreading between his legs.

"Take off your clothes but leave on the lace." Arandi ordered.

Dean started peeling off the clothes.

"Slow, baby, no rush." Arandi whispered in his ear nibbling on the shell.

He shuddered all over.

"That's it, nice and slow." She purred cupping his breasts. Oh so that's how that felt.

Down to just the lace Arandi turned him around and kissed him hotly and cupped his ass.

Dean kissed back and moaned and oh that sounded pretty.

He bounced on the bed as Arandi shoved him down and got on top of him. "Don't move." She demanded. Fuck that was hot.

She took her own clothes off also leaving on just the lace. She gave him a tongue bath that had him writhing and wet.

Arandi smiled wickedly as she slowly moved the panties aside and dipped her tongue onto his nub.

Dean bucked hard and twisted the sheets in his fists. "Fuck…that's so different but so fucking good." He arched. "Do it again, please do it again."

"You beg so pretty." Arandi growled and went to work driving Dean insane with need. This was a first for her but she knew what she liked so she did that to Dean.

Once he was back to normal he was going to go down on Arandi like his life depended on it and in his life it just might.

"Oh God." Dean bucked. "Why don't you ask for this more often?"

"There's a lot more that feels so good." Arandi said moving up pulling his nipples free and nibbling them in a way that made him keen. "I just realized that you're a virgin." She hummed.

"I don't wanna be and I wish you could fuck me." Dean hummed sinfully.

Arandi played with his nipples until they were sore and he wanted to rut against something. Anything.

She moved back down his body. Her tongue flicking quite masterfully until he was sure he was going to lose his mind.

Arandi moved off the bed and Dean whined. "I got you, baby."

Dean's lust filled ridiculously huge green eyes tracked Arandi and then he got it. "Yes, fucking yeah."

Arandi had both dildos molded from Dean's own hard cock. The regular one and the vibrating one.

She lifted Dean up and stuffed pillow under him. Again she moved the panties aside. She sank two fingers into Dean's vagina first. Pleasure so unbelievable burst through him and Arandi fingered him to begging loudly for more. He felt like he was on fire.

Her wet fingers moved lower and Dean cursed and lurched as she pressed first one then the other into his tight hole.

"I'm taking it all at the same time." Arandi promised and she worked him open.

Dean was panting hard. Being female definitely had its perks.

Arandi sat up and lubed both dildos she put the vibrator one to Dean's vagina and the other at his hole. She began to push them in at the same time and Dean hissed and bucked.

"It's going to sting." Arandi said completely enthralled with the fact that she could do this to her macho husband.

"I like a little pain with my pleasure." He moaned lewdly.

Arandi pushed in and Dean gasped feeling completely full and unprepared for all the feelings he never in his life thought he would be able to feel. He realized in his lust blown mind that he was in a sense fucking himself.

Arandi began a pace of twists and pushes that had Dean babbling and begging for more.

It went on for a while and when Arandi saw that Dean was so close. She switched on the vibrator and pushed in both dildos.

"FUCK!" Dean yelled and arched. The orgasm ripping through him like an erupted volcano. Arandi didn't stop and Dean tried to squirm away but she knew what she was doing.

"Arandi, fuck, yes." He was gone again riding another wave. He arched so high off the bed he thought he was going to snap in half.

He lay panting coming down slowly, feeling so sated the anger he'd felt earlier gone.

Still it wasn't over.

He flipped over yanking Arandi onto her back and proceeded to show her how grateful he was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours later they lay together trying to catch their breath after numerous orgasms.

Arandi looked at Dean. "Does this make me bi?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi woke the next day almost at noon. She stretched contentedly and looked around.

No Dean. She hated when he was able to leave without her knowing. Granted he had much lighter steps.

She was about to call him when she heard the roar of the Impala pulling up and Dean walked in moments later.

Arandi's eye brows shot up seeing Dean in her white and blue flowered sun dress and heels. His hair up in a tight pony tail. He had on eye liner which made his green eyes amazing and his pouty lips shiny with gloss.

Arandi had never wanted to have a dick more.

"You went out like that?" She asked getting up and kissing Dean hotly.

"No one really knows I'm supposed to be a guy so I didn't fret it." Dean shrugged. He blushed slightly. He'd always wanted to play with Arandi's make up even though she hardly wore any.

He had brought lunch and Arandi got behind him moving her hands under the dress. "Wish I could fuck you like this, bend you over and fill you up."

"Mmm, please." Dean begged.

"Not possible."

Dean smiled seductively. "Oh baby, everything is possible." He handed Arandi a box.

Her eyes widened at the contents. "You thought about this?"

"Well yeah, I mean just because I'm female doesn't mean I don't want you any less." He pulled her close and looked straight into her eyes. "If I never became a man again you would still love me unconditionally wouldn't you?"

"Isn't that what love is supposed be? Accepting your soul mate, no matter what?" She caressed his face lovingly.

Dean never thought he could feel more love than he already did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Heart attack, he was going to have a heart attack. His heart was hammering so hard as Arandi thrust into him pushing him over the edge. He hit the button on the remote and he felt Arandi convulse in pleasure behind him her mewls sending delicious aftershocks thrumming through him.

They collapsed onto the bed trying to catch their breaths.

"That…...oh fuck." Dean gasped.

Lazily they put themselves back together and cleaned up their new toys. They had been at it for hours.

"I could eat an entire cow." Dean groaned as his stomach grumbled.

One thing the curse hadn't done was curb his appetite.

Arandi smiled. "Hey, remember that steak house down the road that advertises the seventy-ounce steak for free if anyone can eat the whole thing in less than an hour?"

"Bring it." Dean growled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The look on their faces." Arandi laughed hysterically bent in half in the parking lot of the steak house. "I thought that waiter was going to shit himself."

Dean belched loudly. "He actually asked me if I just got out of prison."

Dean had not only downed the entire steak but two baked potatoes, salad and five mugs of beer. Then asked for a slice of mixed berry pie with two scoops of vanilla ice cream.

The owner was so shocked he let the entire meal go for free including Arandi's order. They had their picture taken and Dean looked at it.

"Damn I'm hot."

Arandi's phone sounded and she answered. "Hey, Ellen." She listened intently for a bit. "Double checked and everything? Alright thank you." She put the phone away. "The curse doesn't have a cure but it will end."

Dean dug a heel into the gravel. "How long?"

Arandi made a face. "It will end the day after your period ends."

Dean's head shot up. "Period? Oh fucking fantastic. Any idea when that will be?"

"According to Bobby, others that went through the same curse it lasted about a month. So three weeks, then bleeding out and you'll be good." Arandi waited for the blow out.

Dean only pulled on his skirt. "Well, if I have to be a chick for three more weeks I say let's go shopping."

"Christo." Arandi blurted.

Dean rolled his eyes and got in the car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Honestly neither of them thought shopping would such a blast with each other.

Dean got into it way more than he thought he could. He only intended to get a few things to get him through the three weeks but once he saw the multitude of choices he went straight into 'what the hell mode.'

Arandi had taken to calling him Dee.

They laughed and carried on like two women do when they shop. They got a lot of stares and Arandi laughed so hard when Dean flirted up a couple of guys just to see if he could.

"Fuck, Dee, I actually thought the blonde was going to propose."

Dean batted his lashes. "I'm not that kind of girl."

"You're such a total slut."

"Only for you." Dean winked. "Oh look fresh pretzels."

"How in the hell can you eat more?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi watched Dean sleep. Female or not she would love Dean no matter what. This curse had made that perfectly clear to them both. If Dean stayed female Arandi knew she would adjust without a single doubt.

The problem was that Dean wanted to hunt like everything was the same and damned if he wasn't even more stubborn and his pout severely too much to take when Arandi tried to explain why it wasn't a good idea.

"We won't know until I try." He had said nearly stamping a foot down with the reply but instead had claimed headache and gone to bed.

Arandi had nearly burst into laughter. Dean of all people was pulling the no sex card. Now that was one for the record books.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ok so maybe Arandi had been right and they should have held off on hunting till he was a he again.

Dean just thought that nothing had changed with his hunting abilities but the different body shape and the fact that he could move a bit faster threw him off some.

Also making threats didn't quite come off as threatening. He might have been virginal in other things but not this.

"You didn't train in this body." Arandi hissed.

"I'm still a hunter." Dean hissed back. "Beside it's just a couple of vamps."

Arandi looked very upset and Dean just didn't get it. She couldn't forget that the last time they faced vamps Dean had nearly died.

Dean stepped out of the shadows killing one of the vamps in an alley. The girl that the vamp had been leading away to her fate stood and screamed her head off incessantly until Arandi punched her lights out.

"We're supposed to rescue the victims not…"

"Shut the hell up and let's get this over with."

Arandi took off running and Dean followed. He did like that with the lighter steps they were almost silent.

"They are going to smell us any second." Arandi said. Suddenly Dean had her pressed against the wall kissing her hot and heavy, hands roaming.

She wanted to shove him away and scream that it wasn't the time for such things but she realized Dean was making a play and it was working. The vamps were coming closer and leering at what they thought was a couple of hot chicks making out in an alley and they were about to have fresh horny blood for dinner.

It also dawned on Arandi that there was three of them plus the dead one. Not the just a couple that Dean had said.

"Now." Dean hissed and spun. He got one, Arandi got another while the third shoved Arandi to the ground and took off hauling ass.

Dean right on his tail.

The vamp laughed. Knew it was faster than humans and couldn't help taunting Dean.

"Put that thing down and I'll show you a really good time."

"I'll get right on that." Dean growled. He rolled his eyes. How did Arandi make it sound so dark?

He tossed the machete down. "Show me what you got bad boy."

Oh now that sounded hot.

The vamp moved closer eyeing Dean and sniffing the air. "There's something different about you."

"You have no idea. Now you gonna dance all night or you gonna show a girl a good time?"

The vamp suddenly had Dean pinned to a wall. It's hand cupping a breast. Dean tried to move fast with injection of dead man's blood the vamp grabbed his wrist hitting the right pressure point and Dean's hand let go.

The injection shattering on the dirty alley floor.

"Nice try." The vamp hissed as its fangs extended.

Dean struggled hard especially when he felt the fangs begin to pierce his neck and flashes of the night at the club filled him mind.

The vamp pulled back. "Think I want to stretch this out. Play with you for a couple of days." He bit into his own wrist and started to bring it to Dean's mouth.

Dean clamped his lips down hard and turned his head. He couldn't keep it up forever. Where the hell was Arandi?

Whoosh. The vamp fell headless to the ground.

"What the fuck, Dee?" Arandi stumbled forward with a handkerchief pushing it against Dean's bleeding neck.

"I knew you had my back."

"You sure didn't have mine."

Dean's brows furrowed. "I was just…"

Sirens were coming close.

"We need to get out of here." Arandi bent to get Dean's machete. She winced hard.

They ran down the alley way and crossed a couple of streets to get to the Impala.

Arandi got in the passenger side while Dean tossed the weapons to be cleaned later into the trunk. He got in and they sped away.

"Arandi, look you were right but we did it."

"Just get to the room." Arandi mumbled. She laid her head back looking out the window.

Dean bit his lip. Driving the speed limit as half a dozen cop cars zoomed down the opposite street.

The silence was getting under Dean's skin fast.

"Arandi, just fuck man, I'm sorry."

He got no reply.

Dean turned to look at her, her reflection in the window told him she had her eyes closed. Her left arm crossed over her midsection.

"Arandi?" Dean said softly and touched her arm.

Her arm slid off onto the seat limp and covered in blood.

"Arandi!" Dean's heart was in his throat. He pulled off onto the side of the road as safely as he could, he jumped out and ran to Arandi's side. He opened the door and she fell into his arms.

"Oh God, what did I do?" He mumbled in a panic as he searched for the injury.

He found it seconds later just under Arandi's ribcage on her right side. She had been stabbed.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	28. THERE AND BACK AGAIN

If you've made it this far you know the drill.

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

Arandi opened her eyes slowly. The smell and bright lights telling her that she was in a hospital.

Dean knew better than that. Knew not to go to a hospital in the same city that what police would assume were humans would be found dead.

They had evidence on them. Arandi's blood was at the scene unless Dean had suddenly gained super speed or she had been out too long.

"Fuck, Dean." She breathed. She blinked.

She heard his voice, well Dee's voice, hysterical and sobbing telling someone how a couple of guys had attacked them in an alley and tried to rape them.

Arandi turned her head and the other girl from that night that she had knocked out was staring right at her from another gurney.

Great a fucking witness.

"We're lucky to be alive." The girl mumbled.

Arandi raised an eyebrow. "What happened?" She asked as if she was so confused.

"I was so stupid going into the alley with those guys but they were cute and I was just wanting to relax. Your girlfriend told me how they took you too but you fought back because they were going to rape all of us. That was the reason you hit me so I wouldn't attract more pervs."

Arandi huffed. How could she forgot how deviously deceptive her husband's mind could be?

"Then the one guy didn't want to share anymore and they started fighting. They pulled a machete and I was so scared…." Dean was sobbing. Doing a damn good job of it though because Arandi actually wanted to go comfort him.

Another voice. "So the one guy decapitated all his buddies and ran?"

Sniffling. "Yeah, he must have been hyped up on PCP or something. My girlfriend and I were trying to get out of there and he popped out of nowhere. Killed another guy. Stabbed my girlfriend and ran away screaming that he was going to go fly from the bridge."

"Thank you, Miss Dunhill, you have been through a lot tonight so you should let the doctor check you out. So far your story collaborates with Miss Anderson and we'll question Miss Heart and then go from there."

Arandi chuckled to herself. Only Dean could pull it off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi told the same story and added her own dramatic sense to it. Water works and the whole nine. "I thought we were going to die."

And she was being comforted after all she had been stabbed. Somehow all the vital organs had been missed and the flirting doctor, female at that, promised her she would hardly have a scar because she was that good. Over exaggerated wink included.

Dean would have loved that but he had disappeared and Arandi knew that he was off clearing up anything that would get them into deep shit.

The questions dragged on and Arandi played the confused victim since she had to endure getting blood for being anemic. She saw Dean slip back into the cubicle. One of the cops more than curious as to where he had gone.

"I got confused and I got lost."

One look at his face told her he was guilt ridden for her being stabbed. She smiled at him. 'I'm gonna live' head tilt but his eyes were dark. She had after all been rather pissy at him.

"Miss Dunhill, you shouldn't have…" The cop pressed so Dean fainted perfectly.

"I thought you were supposed to be helping." Arandi said accusingly.

It wasn't long before Bobby and Ellen showed up as Dean's concerned parents and Johnny and Jo arrived in Arandi's behalf. One look at credentials and neither of them would be bothered again, if they really were Miss Dunhill and Miss Heart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A couple of state lines later they were in motel room being fussed over.

Johnny though couldn't help poking at Dean's situation and Dean laughed and carried on as if everything was normal. Arandi knew everyone of Dean's masks. The way his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"How in the hell did you guys arrive so fast?" Arandi asked doing her best to act as if she wasn't hurting in a million ways so they would just go away.

"I borrowed the general's jet." Johnny winked. "Which I need to get back before noon so we better get going, sweetie."

Jo nodded and smiled. "Damn Dean, male, female, you just got it going on."

"Jealous?" Dean asked with a head tilt and bat of lashes.

Johnny steered Jo out of the room before she could answer.

"Everything is covered. Jefferson and Caleb made sure things click like you said and the cops are going to find a shifter floating by a bridge with a machete close by covered in the so called victim's blood."

"Thank you, Bobby." Dean mumbled.

"Yeah, well I have to take care of my princess."

Arandi had to laugh at that even as Dean scowled.

Soon they were alone again.

Arandi could tell Dean was needing some air and she really didn't want him going anywhere alone.

She moved off the bed to use the bathroom and couldn't hide the wince. She'd left the hospital before she got the good stuff. Dean was there helping her without a word.

He helped her get comfortable and led her back to the bed.

He handed her some pills and a bottle of water. Arandi took them and drank the whole bottle.

"I'm going to be fine." She said.

Dean scoffed. "If I had listened to you none of this would have happened."

"The day you listen to anyone will be the day I throw you in a panic room."

"Funny, I don't seem to have that problem with my dad." He snapped. "I need…"

"I need you, please, don't go." Arandi said slowly the pills kicking in fast.

Dean sighed. "I'm not going anywhere."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's ok mom." Dean sighed staring at his mom on the video chat.

"I wanted to be there, sweetheart, but I was terrified that seeing you in your condition that I would have screwed everything up for everyone."

"I'm a woman, mom, not pregnant." He cringed having said that out loud.

"You're still my kid and even though I wanted a daughter for a while I didn't want it like this."

"You wanted a daughter?"

"Not in place of you or Sam. Just a little sister for you both. Didn't work out though."

"Sorry."

"Oh honey, it's not like it was your fault."

"Wow you look like your mom." John's voice interrupted.

Dean tried not to scowl. His dad had gotten him into this mess and hadn't so much as offered and apology.

"Well then I'm a total babe." Dean smiled.

Mary blushed. "I'm sorry, baby."

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat. Just how many times had his mother apologized for his dad? "Gotta run Arandi needs me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Needless to say there were no hunts after that. And Arandi knew that there wouldn't be until she didn't wince when she moved and Dean was curse free.

Dean was far from over it though. Doing his damn best to seem normal but Arandi would see his faraway look when he was supposed to be reading.

He drove them to a nice little rented cottage by a beach and they relaxed and sunned themselves. Dean cooked every day and finally seemed to relax.

They made out on the beach and went for long walks.

Dean had looked at himself in the mirror strutting and spinning. "I really am hot."

"Conceded but not arrogant." Arandi hummed.

Dean smiled seductively. "When you got it flaunt it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi came awake to soft moans and the slight stirrings of the bed beside her.

She found Dean working himself to a frenzy on his fingers.

"I needed…." He panted. "Didn't…. fuck…. want to …. wake you."

Arandi didn't say anything just took over and gave him what he needed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Stop laughing at me." Dean sniffled and wiped the hundredth tissue under his nose.

Dean had sworn that even in female form he wouldn't be affected by a chick flick. Arandi had pulled 'The Notebook' on him and he was screwed in minutes.

Arandi laughed through her own tears because well she so planned to do this to him once he was back to normal.

They burned through a couple of pints of Ben and Jerry's and Dean picked an action movie just so that he could feel normal but the other movie kept pushing into his thoughts.

Arandi had stopped paying attention halfway through the action movie lost in thought.

He turned off the movie. "You feel ok?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just wondering you know if I had been the one cursed how different things would have been." She shrugged.

"Different?" Dean furrowed his brows. "You think that if you were a guy and I was normal that I would have left you on your own?"

"You wouldn't have left me but…."

Dean got on his knees next to Arandi on the bed. "I would have been a bit freaked I won't deny that but Arandi or Randy I would have adjusted just like you did."

"Really?"

Dean nodded. "Look at what I let you do to me now. So it would have been the real in the flesh thing. Would have taken some getting used to both ways but…. oh wow does that make me bi?"

They both burst into giggles and flopped onto the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Every fucking month for most of your life!" Dean moaned where he was curled up on the bed with severe menstrual cramps. "How do you do it? How do you function? I will never, ever, ever, talk shit to you again when you're on the rag I swear you deserve a fucking medal."

Though Arandi hated to see him suffer. She wasn't opposed to Dean finally getting why she could go from sweetness to bitch in two seconds flat during that time of the month.

She handed Dean a heating pad. "It'll help some."

"So would a bullet." He groaned. "I have to change first. How does one body lose so much blood?"

"You only have to do it once in your life, love, so suck it up."

Dean glared at her.

"I love you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke to a familiar and much missed sensation between his legs. He reached still sleepy and gave a lop sided smile as his hand wrapped around hard cock. He didn't get very far before warm lips and wet tongue took over.

He opened one eye to make sure that it was Arandi and moaned deep and lewd as she took him all in and used her tongue divinely.

"Missed you." She purred.

"Show me." He growled.

Oh fuck did she.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean lay smiling and stretching. He could barely move even as his stomach demanded to be fed.

Arandi had welcomed him back in every way possible and his dick was going to be taking another vacation but this time so his balls had time to refill.

She dried him out on those fantastic orgasms.

He smiled wider. He was sure though that he could pull one more out of her. He turned and pinned her to the bed.

"I'm good, baby."

"I don't know. I think you're just saying that. Besides I got to see if what I learned is gonna work." He buried his head low and Arandi screeched in pleasure.

His tongue worked liked mad his fingers joining. Nah he was sure she had a couple more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was quiet as they packed up to hit the road. Arandi watched him sort through Dee's clothes and sigh.

He caught Arandi's eye. "Don't get me wrong. I'm so glad to be swinging and dangling but it was like saying goodbye to a close friend. We had good times like that."

"We can still have good times. Couples shop, oh the shock of it." Arandi put a hand to heart dramatically. "And you don't have to get rid of everything." Arandi smiled holding up Dee's lacy hot pink panties."

Dean ducked his head. "They do feel good."

Arandi sauntered up to him. "Put them on right now and when we stop hours from now." She whispered the dirtiest things she could think of in his ear.

Dean shuddered, grabbed the panties and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had volunteered to go get their dinner. She needed a moment to breathe. Dean had been back a couple of weeks now and they hadn't taken a single hunt even though they stumbled onto more than one.

He had just casually passed them on to other hunters claiming he was recuperating from an injury.

Arandi was ok with it at first but then things had changed with them too. Oh it was all love and romance as usual but Dean was holding back in everything.

It was grinding on her nerves. Every person wanted to be made love too but hell everyone wanted that wild rodeo sex too every now and then.

Arandi wasn't seeing that now and then wasn't looking good either. She hated to be treated like she might break. Dean hadn't gotten over her being stabbed on a hunt she had insisted they didn't take but Dean had insisted otherwise.

He had covered pretty damn good but now that he was Dean again. It was eating at him and she was going to bring him out of that even though it wasn't going to be pretty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean squirmed on the seat as he drove. Arandi played dirty. She told him all the clean underwear left were the lacy ones that he had worn as Dee so he put them on.

She had done her naughty whispering to him in the laundry mat while they washed clothes and had rubbed him over his denim until he was so hard he thought he was going to pass out.

Then she had left him like that and told him he would get relief when they got where they were going. That was hours away.

She had set rules that were going to make him go insane.

He couldn't pull over just anywhere. She had the place chosen and to Dean it was too far. She said he had to go the speed limit. Any pit stops if he even dared touch himself beside to pee, all bets were off and she would know.

She would too.

Then she played dirtier. She followed Dean to the bathroom before they were even half way and pulled his pants down just far enough to tease and he was already hard from the feel and constant rub of the lace. He thought she was going to give him some relief but instead he yelped as Arandi pushed a butt plug into place.

"That stays in until we get to our room." She purred. "Wanna make sure you're nice and ready for when I fuck you cross eyed."

He whimpered. His body trembled. "Christo." He groaned. She only winked at him and started to walk away as he pulled his pants back into place.

"Holy fuck!" He bucked to his toes and grabbed onto the sink as Arandi walked out smiling so slyly remote in hand. Not just any butt plug but a vibrating one.

"You alright, buddy?" A man's voice cut into his lust filled haze.

"Yeah, long drive." Dean breathed heavily. "Fuck!" He couldn't help the rut against the sink.

The man's eyes widened.

Dean rushed out before the man really got the shock of his lifetime.

He got in the car gingerly next to a smug Arandi as she sipped her fountain drink.

"You are so going to pay for this." He hissed.

"Promises, promises." She purred and hit the button.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi hitting the button as he ordered lunch at a diner was the final straw. He didn't want to hurt Arandi but she was being, well she was being a bitch. Something he had never once said out loud to her and would hopefully never.

The waitress must have thought he was having a seizure the way he gripped the booth table and gritted his teeth. The fucking pleasure pooling in his gut but just not enough. He stood up and tossed money on the table even though all they had was water.

He yanked Arandi out of the booth and in front of a diner full of people threw her over his shoulder.

"Honeymoon, you know how it is." Dean growled storming out of the diner.

He shoved Arandi into the back seat and slammed the door climbing in spinning tires out of the parking lot.

He looked at her in the rear view mirror and she was grinning at him like he had just played right into her hands.

She hit the button and Dean nearly ran off the road.

He veered off onto the first dirt road he could find taking twists and turns until he found a road he was sure didn't see much traffic.

He jumped out and dragged her out of the car. He pushed her against the side. He grabbed the remote and tossed it onto the seat. Arandi purred under him as he mauled her mouth rutting against her so fucking needy. He was going to leave so many bruises.

"Why?" He bit into her neck.

"Needed you to let go. Stop looking at me like I was going to break in half." Arandi moaned.

She needed for him to come back to himself. She loved Dean unconditionally but she couldn't say that and mean it and not push him to be his true self.

He spun her around undoing her pants and sliding them down just enough to get to what he needed. He undid his own pulling himself free oozing precome. He pressed hard against her, letting her feel how hard he was.

He slid into her in one less than gentle thrust right onto her toes. The moan she let out all sinful need and lust.

"That what you want?" He bit the shell of her ear.

"Yes, yes I want to feel you." She moaned.

Dean pulled out to the tip twist and turn as he slammed back in and his eyes blurred at the sensation of fucking her and the damn butt plug rubbing his sweet spot.

He bit into her neck a little harder. "I'm going to fuck you so hard my come is going to splash your tonsils."

Arandi mewled thrusting back to meet him. He pulled her further down the trunk until he could bend her over further and then he thrust with no mercy.

He completely zoned out. It was impossible not to all the amazing pleasure thrumming through him from every direction. Fingers bruising on her hips so he could go in solid full force so deep his balls smacked like a slap over and over.

He felt her go over but he couldn't stop. The plug rubbing just enough to send spikes of bliss up his spine but not quite enough to make him come.

He pushed harder, faster, deeper. Grunting as sweat poured over him. He was so close so fucking close.

Arandi came again. The babbling moans of pleasure and his name piercing his mind just made him need more want more.

"It has a switch." Arandi breathed.

Dean thrust like mad a few more time before he got it. He reached back and flipped the switch. The light buzzing barely audible but the next thrust into Arandi and the now vibrating plug touched that bundle inside of him and he seized.

The orgasm a rip tide of pleasure taking him down so hard he tasted blood from biting his lip. Somewhere he vaguely remembered that no one could hear him but Arandi and he let loose.

His vision whited out and blood rushed through his ears, his hips still helplessly thrusting to get every last sensation of ecstasy he could reach.

The vibrating plug hit his spot again and Dean's body jolted hard. "Fuck, oh fuck…" the pleasure spiking strong and it dragged him into bliss.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had gotten exactly what she wanted. For Dean to lose control and take over like he used to do. He was amazing lover always had been but since he'd been a girl Arandi craved just a bit more.

She didn't want him to go cave man on her every time they made love but once every now and then didn't hurt. Well it did but in a damn good way.

She wanted to push it and she had. Even she knew the diner had been too much but hey here she was on the side of some country road getting one orgasm after another slammed out of her.

She was close to begging for mercy because Dean was relentless. Then she remembered the switch.

Dean came hard his moans of pleasure hot to hear and his hips corkscrewing wildly. Arandi thought she was done but he managed to thrust just right and she went over again.

Her body shook and he was still there moving.

"Fuck…oh fuck." She heard and felt Dean jolt hard.

His fingers dug deep into the flesh of her hips making her wince. Then Dean was falling. She hissed in pain because Dean still mostly hard yanked from inside of her.

She had no way to cushion the fall in her position. His head connecting solidly with the hard dirt road.

Arandi pulled her pants up fast and kneeled beside Dean. His pulse was fast, no shocker there.

She could hear the vibrator still purring and Dean's body still giving little jerks.

She felt like a perv pulling it out as Dean lay unconscious. She looked up to see a cow chewing on grass staring.

She did her best to tuck Dean away. She slapped at his face gently. He opened his eyes dazed a bit too glassy to her liking.

"Hey, love, gotta get you in the car. Can you help me out?"

Dean didn't answer but he sat up and pushed to his feet with her help. She got him into the passenger seat.

"Try to stay awake for me." She said as she closed the door.

Dean nodded and promptly passed out again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

How in the hell did he always drink so much? You would think a body would learn to avoid hang overs. Wait a minute?

He sat up too fast. His stomach lurching and he was spewing before he could even think of finding anything to aim at.

Like always Arandi was there prepared. The trash can in place as she rubbed his back.

She led him to bathroom to brush his teeth and clean up. He blinked owlishly. He didn't remember getting to the room or changing into night clothes. The last thing….

His eyes widened a bit.

"And you got there." Arandi chuckled tiredly. "It would have gone to my head but then I realized because I ruined your lunch that you hadn't actually eaten anything for over a day and since you usually eat a side of beef per meal with all the trimmings your body was a bit low on energy and all the other things it needs to keep moving. The side of the road sexathon drained you completely."

His body jerked as he replayed the sensations. He smiled goofily.

"You hit your head. Which by the way would be ok if you stopped doing because that is one record I don't want you to break." Arandi was rambling. Her way of not bursting into tears because she felt guilty.

Dean leaned in to kiss her.

"I'm sorry." She said as she laid her head on his chest.

"I'm fine." He said hoarsely. "More than fine. My head doesn't even hurt but I am starving. How did you get me in the car and here?"

"You're far from light weight but I managed. Let's get a boat load of take out and stuff our faces."

They decided on Chinese and Arandi ordered for delivery. "They said it's going to be at least an hour.

"Good." Dean smiled and laid Arandi stomach down on the bed. He knew her muscles had to be killing her from manhandling him. He grabbed massaging oil and began messaging her back.

The shorts she wore didn't do much for hiding the bruising he had inflicted. The scene played out in his head again.

"What happened to the plug?"

Arandi chuckled. "I was so worried about you. Let's just say some farmer is going to make a hell of a discovery."

Dean laughed and kept massaging. She fell asleep until the food arrived and they spread it out on the bed between them.

"I have a surprise for you." Arandi said opening her lap top.

At first Dean thought they were watching some random porno and then he noticed it was him and Arandi when he was Dee. "How did you…?" He swallowed thickly his dick hard in two seconds.

"That was one in a lifetime thing. Couldn't just let it go."

"Bless you." Dean said watching as Arandi on the screen did things to Dee that made him shudder. "Every time?"

"Duh."

Dean began eating with gusto. "I'm gonna need extra energy tonight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat gingerly in the booth of the diner they chose for lunch. No plug this time but things had gotten rather hot and well they were both going to be feeling it for days.

He was going to have to ice down parts that ice shouldn't be near.

They ordered their food and Arandi skimmed over the local paper.

Dean felt his phone vibrate. He looked and scowled.

"Your dad is at it again?"

"Yeah." His face darkened.

"Dean, you can tell him no."

"No, I can't. Get the lunch to go." He stood up.

"Dean?"

"The coordinates are for Palo Alto." He said evenly. "I know them like home."

Arandi immediately headed to the counter.

Sammy and Jade were in trouble.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	29. PALO ALTO

The sexual part of this story will now be tamed down a bit. It will be there but not so much in detail for some chapters to come. Other things get in the way and soon the story will move into some of the storylines from the show but with everyone still alive for now and my OC's. Plus, changed up to fit everyone and add other things and people.

I will be honest and say that I came close to stopping this story all together. Thousands read but no one reviews so to me that means no one likes. Then I got two PMs and a couple of favorites that changed my mind for now.

I'm not even halfway done with this but I do need some motivation. I can't change things if I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

So anyway here I go.

PALO ALTO

Dean broke every speed limit to get to Palo Alto. Somehow he managed to avoid being pulled over by zooming down every back road he could manage. He knew all the roads to get there it wasn't going to be the first time they had been in the neighborhood.

They knew where Sam and Jade lived, they knew their schedules, they even knew where Jade got her nails done and Sam's favorite all you can eat salad bar. Dean would never call himself a hunter again if he didn't know the small things. Especially about his brother.

So when Dean pulled into the park across the street from Sam and Jade's duplex. He was relieved but confused to see that they were just fine.

"I don't think it was about Sam and Jade." Arandi said beside him on her tablet. "From what I found so far there has been a couple of murders involving college students. I guess your dad just wanted to play it safe."

"Are they supernatural? And really Sam and Jade could be in danger and he can't fucking call?"

"Hard to tell without investigating further. Three known. All found outdoors. I'm sure the police are withholding evidence. Trying not to cause a panic."

"Guess we better find out then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

So far they had only done it a handful of times. Suiting up and pretending to be FBI. They always got that 'you don't look old enough' stare.

Arandi in a pant suit well that worked.

After a few interviews and gleaming from the local police they got what was being left out of the papers. Hearts were missing but no evidence of how. There were no incisions or bites of any kind the body perfectly intact but no heart.

"There's only a few things that can take a heart like that." Dean huffed as he peeled off his suit jacket back in the room they had rented. "Usually there is some sign though."

"Women in white, poltergeist, vengeful spirit." Arandi rattled off. "But all of those are usually trapped in one place. The bodies have been found all over the place."

Dean took a deep breath. His hands gripped tightly on the top of a wooden chair. "You missed one."

Arandi raised an eye brow.

"Demon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam was sound asleep when the buzzing of his phone woke him. He looked at the time on the clock on the night stand. Jade laid unmoving exhausted from her tedious day. It was after three and no one in their right mind would call him at that hour.

He turned to go back to sleep. Then sat up reaching for the phone. Bad calls came at this hour, emergencies, hunting.

The caller ID said Dean. He sighed but his gut pulled with trepidation. He hadn't heard from his brother in a while.

"Dean?" Sam answered.

There was silence.

"Dean?"

A soft rustling.

"Dean, are you ok?" Sam was up moving to his laptop. Starting it up to trace the call. His gut screamed that something was terribly wrong. He'd find Dean help no matter how far he was.

"S-s-s-ammy." Dean's voice sounded pained and lost.

"Dean, are you hurt? Where's Arandi?" Sam pushed out, his heart hammering.

"S-s-s-am?"

"I'm right here, Dean." Sam pinched his nose willing the GPS to work faster.

"It's so cold."

"Dean, where is Arandi?"

"She's not moving…..." Dean whimpered. "I…. think…. I…killed her."

"You would never hurt her." Sam soothed.

The GPS popped up and Sam froze. The park across the street. He grabbed his shoes and thrust his feet in with no socks. He grabbed his gun from under his pillow. He pushed away the panic and let his hunter side slide into place. No matter how much he hated it, it was always there.

He thought of waking Jade but he just wanted to run. Needed to run.

Sam was half way down the stairs of the duplex where they lived when Dean's screams filled his ear.

He stuffed the phone in has sports pants pocket and took off in dead run, gun ready. The screams he could hear now in the air and he ran towards them.

Someone had Dean off the ground by his throat and Sam wondered how he could still scream so loud. It was a senseless thought but all of it was senseless.

Arandi lay motionless on the ground. She looked broken and Sam could see no breathing movements. His heart clenched. Dean would never get over losing her like that, like any way, but this….

He stopped and aimed the gun. "Put him down!"

Azazel turned to meet him. Dean had stopped screaming his eyes fluttering looking at Sam with so much agony.

"I'll get right on that, Sammy boy, but first." He shoved his hand into Dean's chest and Dean kicked and convulsed a gurgling horrible noise coming from his throat.

And even though Sam knew that bullets wouldn't do any good he fired until there were none left.

Azazel laughed yanking his hand back with Dean's heart clutched. It beat three times in front of Sam eyes before it stuttered to a stop.

Dean's lifeless eyes still locked on him.

"No!" Sam screamed. "No!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam!" Jade yelled in Sam's face and shook him hard.

Sam bolted straight up his eyes wide. He reached for the gun and it was where he kept it still loaded. His phone on the night stand. His laptop on the desk.

Jade stared at him. It had been a long time since Sam had had a nightmare or whatever.

He jumped from the bed and opened his laptop. His instincts telling him to check his brother's GPS and sure enough though it wasn't across the street he was in Palo Alto and if Sam's dream was right so was Azazel.

He threw on his clothes and explained to Jade what he dreamed leaving out things that would upset her. He needed to find his brother. He was afraid if he called him that Dean would hide to protect him. He was more afraid to discover that he might already be too late.

He should have known that hunters would track down the recent murders. He just had no idea that it would be Dean and Arandi. He had heard from Mary that they had left home soon after they had gotten to Palo Alto just like Jade had predicted. He had known it too but still part of him had hoped that Dean would try to be normal with his wife.

Jade dressed quickly. Sam knew better than to ask her to stay behind when her sister was involved and besides he didn't need to be worried about her being alone.

So much for escaping the hunter's life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They found the motel where Dean and Arandi were staying and a flash of badge and the desk clerk gave the room number.

Badges came in handy in all situations. So Sam had made a couple for himself and Jade. Some habits were hard to break.

They knocked on the door and got no answer. The Impala sat in front of the room so Sam knocked again. Every horrible thought criss crossing his mind. He swallowed it back. Never assume anything.

Jade went back to the office and came back with a key card. They both went in guns ready.

The room was empty except for the clothes duffels and a meal that looked half eaten and Arandi's laptop.

Sam made a spin of the room. Where would Dean go without the Impala? He had a really bad feeling.

Jade opened her sister's laptop. "They were investigating the murders. The newspapers left out that the hearts were missing. Removed with no incision.

Sam's mouth went dry. That was how Dean had died in his dream and probably Arandi too. He dared not believe that it had been a vision.

"Fuck!" Sam swore kicking a chair into the wall.

His brother and sister in law could be dying at that very moment and he was helpless.

"I pinged Dean's last call." Jade said slowly. "It was from you but you were still asleep."

Sam felt sick. Dean would do whatever to make sure Sam was safe and if he got a call from Sam's phone danger be damned Dean was going to find him.

"Why did the GPS show his phone here?" Sam asked.

"Check the car." Jade suggested.

Sam found the door unlocked very uncharacteristic of Dean but no phone.

Checking the computer for the GPS again. Sam groaned. It now showed Dean was at their duplex.

They rushed back home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stood as protectively as he could in front of Jade. Dean was going to rip him a new one for being so sloppy. If they survived anyway.

They had rushed home thinking they were going to find Dean but fell into a trap instead. Sam should have known if the last call to Dean's phone had been from Sam then someone was able to get into their apartment while they slept. He had just been too worried about Dean to put two and two together.

"Azazel says hi." A demon poked Sam's chest harshly even though he was like five seven.

"You can't be in here." Sam hissed.

"Oh your little devil's traps and such. You really need to watch the friends you keep." The demon laughed. "Took care of that for you though.

A couple of more demons came in from their kitchen.

"Azazel just wanted you to know that you can't run, Sammy."

"Then why doesn't he tell me himself."

"He's busy getting things ready to open the door to hell." The demon grinned.

"What?"

"Oh don't worry. You'll have front row seats, just everyone else will be dead." The demon moved towards Jade.

"Where's my brother?"

The demon laughed. "Your brother is off on some wild goose chase. Got a call from little brother lost in the desert. Getting his heart ripped out right about now."

"Shows you how much you know." Dean said calmly as he walked in the door.

Sam let out a relieved breath.

"Get him!" The demon commanded the other two and Dean moved fast and in a blink had them in iron devil's trap handcuffs.

The one demon lunged at Sam and Dean threw himself in between.

"Dean!" Sam yelled when he heard the unmistakable sound of a blade ripping fabric and hitting flesh.

Arandi had the third demon cuffed. She nodded to Jade who started the exorcism.

Dean fell back into Sam's arms. Both hands grabbing at his chest. Sam fell to his knees trying to put pressure on the wound.

They needed help but they still had to get rid of the demons.

Arandi kneeled beside him and the meat suits fell to the floor. They had chosen dead bodies and that wasn't going to go well if they called 911.

Dean was trying to push to his feet. "Sammy, it's ok." He lifted his shirt. "It's just a scratch. That amulet you gave me deflected it."

Just a scratch to Dean was an ugly looking cut but not deep or hospital needed now type.

They breathed in relief.

"Patch me up then we get rid of the bodies after dark."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam calmly stitched the cut closed and kind of hated that he was so good at it. Maybe he should have gone into medicine.

Dean was drinking whiskey straight from a bottle. He had had way more serious injuries but the whiskey was to calm him. He couldn't help but think what could have happened if he and Arandi hadn't pieced things together. If he had rushed to the wrong place, it would have ended badly.

Arandi and Jade were in the kitchen making coffee giving the brothers time to talk.

"It's been so long. I really thought he was going to leave me alone." Sam huffed.

"He wanted you to let your guard down, Sam."

"How did you know? To come here?"

"Gut feeling. A literal voice screaming in my head to not go where I was told to go. They killed innocent people to get us all here."

"He said he was going to open the gates of hell and kill everyone but me."

"That's not going to be easy."

Dean's phone went off. He looked at the caller ID and huffed. "It's dad." He answered. "Sam's fine we got here in time." Dean started.

Sam watched his brother pale and stand up fast. Slipped on a clean shirt that Arandi had made appear and he didn't ask.

"How? Is she….is she…." Dean's eyes were suddenly too bright. "We'll head out now."

"What is it?" Sam asked wide eyed.

"Mom…she…he got…. something got mom. She…. might not…...make….it." Dean gasped, his chest too tight as tears ran down his face. "We gotta go. Get packed and meet us at motel, we'll leave from there." He and Arandi were gone.

Sam was numb all over.

"I'll pack, baby, you get the calls made to the office."

He nodded. As his body thrummed with anguish and anger. Azazel was behind it he knew it. He had made them believe he was in Palo Alto and now Mary…. Sam brushed away his tears angrily. He didn't know how or when but Azazel was going to die if it was the last thing he ever did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The pain was unbelievable. She felt it in every nerve and muscle even with the morphine dripping into her body. She was meant to suffer. It was what Azazel was doing because he couldn't have what he wanted. Not the way he wanted.

Mary knew she should have been dead long ago. She was meant to die before Sam even learned to sit up on his own but she had survived then and she would always believe that it had something to do with meeting the Remingtons and then they became a part of each other's lives.

Beth believed it too. That she was alive for meeting the Winchesters. They didn't talk about it often but it was there just out of sight. They were more than just hunting families but everyone that knew anything was long gone.

Their entire lives they had fought the demons. How could such powerful evil beasts failed so often to obtain what they were after? Mary had decided to dig. She wanted her sons safe. It was bad enough she had been unable to keep them from the hunting life but come hell or high water she wasn't losing them to demons.

Now here she was dying before she could even turn one page of the of any of the family archives. She had hit a nerve and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about in now.

She wasn't going to die easily though. Mary Winchester was holding on with everything she had. Her men would figure something out. They were hunters and they would know what to do.

Far off in her pain hazed mind she heard the evil snicker.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They made it to Texas in record time. Something Dean would have usually celebrated. Now he sat behind the wheel of his beloved Impala stoned faced. Arandi silently praying beside him.

Dean had called in favors so that the bodies in Sam's duplex would be taken care of immediately.

Beth was supposed to have been with Mary something had come up and Mary had ventured out alone to pick up some things they needed for the house.

She had been run off the road on her way home and although the car was warded, she had gotten confused and stepped out unarmed. Her stomach had been slashed and they left her to die on the side of the road. Only Mary could be as stubborn as her men. She had managed to drag herself back to the car and stayed conscious long enough to call 911.

She was touch and go when her boys arrived with their wives. She had already been revived twice. The doctor didn't think she could handle much more.

She had lost too much blood and the cut had gotten very dirty where she had crawled on the ground.

Dean paced the hospital halls furiously. If anyone knew what havoc an infection could cause on a body, it was him.

Beth was beside herself with guilt. They always went everywhere together.

Sam wanted to tear everyone apart but he knew that wouldn't help and his mom would be disappointed in him.

He glared at his dad. Though John stood off to the side looking like he was going to fall apart any second. Sam wanted to blame him punch him in the face. Something, anything.

Surprisingly Dean beat him to it.

"You sent me to California and you knew. You knew what this all was and you let mom go out alone." Dean growled and shoved his dad against the wall.

John made no effort to defend himself. "You don't think I feel bad enough?" He murmured.

Arandi gently pulled Dean back. He looked at her his face a million emotions and she only caressed his face. He leaned his forehead against hers and breathed.

"I'm going to go grab some lunch." Jo said getting up from where she sat in the waiting room.

Dean grabbed her arm. "No one goes anywhere alone again, until we figure this out."

Johnny stepped up to his wife. "Sounds good to me."

Dean nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby had filled his trunk of his car to the brim with any and every book he could think of that might help them keep Mary alive. If it was ever a time to make a deal this was it. He doubted that Ellen would understand though and besides he had used up the last of the real power keeping Dean alive.

At the most he had enough leverage to keep Mary alive a few days longer until they figured out anything. He would go over everything but he needed to be at the hospital with them all.

He had Jefferson and the rest keeping vigil outside and watching the houses as well.

If Mary Winchester died more than world would crumble and demons would be begging for mercy instead of the other way around.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I shouldn't have left." Dean groused as he drove.

"Well unless you know how to clone yourself in two minutes or less there was no choice." Arandi sighed. "You won't let me go anywhere without you and you don't want to leave mom but we are not doing much good if our body odor scares the hospital staff half to death."

Dean rolled his eyes but made no remark. Arandi didn't deserve his frustrations being taken out on her but he could care less what the hospital staff thought of him or how he smelled. Their only priority should be their patients especially his mom if he had anything to do with it.

He wanted to understand how Azazel had been able to manipulate Sam into seeing him and Arandi die but Sam had not had a vision about what would happen to their mom. He didn't like that Azazel could have any type of hold on his brother and that was going to end ASAP.

They had been gone less than hour. Jade had preordered their food so all they had to do was swing by and pick it up and they would be back at the hospital. No one had called everything was the same. Mary was holding on three days later.

"Dean!"

Arandi's scream brought him to complete alertness but if was far too late to stop a damn thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam startled awake. His dream slipping away to nothing but he remembered the awful sound of grinding metal and breaking glass.

Everyone had maintained a steady presence at the hospital. Sleeping on the uncomfortable little hard sofas they had in the waiting room. Leaving in pairs or more to go shower and change in intervals. Someone always brought food.

Mary was holding on. She had always been a fighter.

Sam looked around and saw everyone but Dean, Arandi, and his wife. Suddenly he felt panicked. His heart hammered. He needed to remember.

"Bobby, where did they go?"

"It was their turn to go shower and whatnot. Arandi practically had to drag your brother. Jade wanted to get you some of your favorite take out. She was worried about you not eating, she didn't want to wake you up. Sam, what's wrong?"

"They're not safe. Even together they're not safe." He started running for the doors. It had been a vision; he knew it to his toes but his brain was pushing it back. His head was about to burst, nausea rolled through him.

The Impala sat in the parking lot and Sam began to breathe again.

"They took my Cherokee." Jo said behind him. "Jade wanted to see how it rode."

Sam's stomach sank and his head thrummed with his speeding heart. "Oh God, please." His head filled with images and he grabbed his head.

"Sam?" Bobby asked worriedly.

Sam ran inside to the desk. Everyone at his heels. No one breathed as the voice came over the ER dispatch.

"Jeep Cherokee was t-boned and flipped numerous times wheels up. Extractions of victims by Jaws of Life. From what we can tell we have three victims' male and two females all look early to mid-twenties. All vitals coming your way as soon as we can reach them. It doesn't look good though."

Sam nearly fell to his knees. He was going to lose everyone and he had no clue how to stop it.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	30. FROM THE FIRE

FROM THE FIRE

Bobby told the nurse at the desk that the accident victims were probably their family members. She was shocked. She had seen them day in and day out fretting over Mary Winchester and now this.

She prayed that it wasn't them. That they weren't going to have to face losing more family. Not that any family deserved that heart break.

She didn't realize the life these people led. She wouldn't understand it even if she tried. The countless close calls. She let them wait close by as the ambulances screeched to halt by the ER doors in what seemed like an eternity later.

There was no more doubt as the doors slid open and Dean was brought in first. His face hardly recognizable from the swelling and blood. His neck in a brace. The paramedic rattled off vitals and other injuries.

Sam stared wide eyed. He clutched Jonathan who was right beside him to keep from sliding to the floor. It was too much.

Dean began to convulse and spit up more blood.

"We need all departments for consult." The head nurse yelled.

"No left breath sounds!" Someone else yelled. "We're losing him."

Arandi came in next. A female paramedic was straddling her doing chest compressions. "Severe head trauma. Non responsive."

Jade was right behind her. She was in wide eyed shocked struggling to breathe and covered in blood.

Sam's heart shattered but something inside of him was already piecing it back together. He was Sam Winchester and no one especially some scum bucket demon was going to best him or his family. They had come too far for this.

They were whisked away and Sam ran out the doors.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby paced worriedly.

Sam had disappeared. John was lost now that he had to face losing Dean and both daughters in law. His brain was trying to piece things together but he just couldn't get there with all the stress. So much for the badass hunter he was supposed to be.

Arandi they were told had no brain activity. She would be put on life support just to be sure.

Jade was barely hanging on and was probably heading in the same direction.

"This can't be happening." Johnny growled. Both his little sisters fighting for their lives. His brother in law and the other woman he considered a mom.

"Find, Sam." Beth said. "Jade needs him, we all do." She was terrified that he would be next off by himself. At this point she didn't care if the hospital fell on her if she lost her girls, Mary and Dean and she hoped that Johnny and her husband understood that.

Johnny nodded and he and Bobby rushed out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam had ended up in a small area outside the hospital where patients went to get fresh air. He stood in the middle of the garden lined with stone benches. His rage was immeasurable. He was not going to grieve his loss. No one was dead yet and he'd damn his own soul to eternal hell before he let it happen.

"Azazel, I don't have time to find the crap I need to summon you but I know you can hear me."

There was barely a movement of air.

"Hiya, Sammy."

"You don't get to call me that." Sam hissed.

"Tragic isn't it? How fragile life can be?"

Sam cracked his neck. "Listen to me you fucking smug bastard. You are pushing way too hard but you haven't touched me which tells me that you can't."

The sneer dropped slightly from Azazel's face, his eyes darted away for just a second.

Sam's nose flared in anger and his hands were tight fists. The air stirred around them. A stone bench cracked in half.

Azazel stared at the bench and back at Sam.

Sam kept his surprise in check. "I don't know what you're after but I do know that you need me to get it. You gave that away in your actions. You want me then you better fix this and I mean now!"

"Are you offering yourself to me?"

"I'm not offering you crap. I'm telling you that if you hurt anyone in my family or any of our friends again. I will never be anything else but the hunter that kills you and it will be far from painless. You fix this now or so help me…." Sam hissed through gritted teeth.

The bench fell apart.

Azazel assessed him. "You have so much potential. Fine, but no promises if anyone comes after me or makes a deal. Are you sure you want Deano around? He's such a pain in the ass."

"You even think of touching Dean…." Sam growled another bench disintegrated.

"Touchy aren't we? I'll see you around, Sammy."

Sam closed his eyes and breathed before running back into the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The chaotic ER was suddenly eerily silent. The medical staff looked from one to the other.

The three accident patients that were basically already dead now stared wide eyed at the ceiling.

The ER doctor snapped out of her stupor. She checked Arandi first. Normal brain activity and just some cuts and contusions. A wrist that had seemed broken now looked like a minor sprain.

Jade was wide awake. Jagged cut near her hairline above her left temple. She had been so near death yet now she didn't show any signs of trauma. Her breathing was normal although they were sure she had had a collapsed lung.

Dean blinked in confusion. He had been in a black whirl of pain and now there was still some pain but nothing he couldn't handle. How in the world did they keep getting healed or pulled from death's door?

The doctor checked him. Just moments before he'd been drowning in blood, a punctured lung, crushed ribs, a broken arm and a severe gash to his right thigh. There had been no time for x-rays so it had all been by assessment. The doctor had never in ten years been that off.

At the most now he only had a concussion, a small gash to the leg and bruised ribs.

The doctor put her hands on her hips and blinked. "I….um…admit them…for observation. Run all necessary tests. Someone grab the coffee pot and find out if we were drugged."

The staff moved into action. All of them settling into their own reasoning with just a gentle nudge. They were professionals after all not nut jobs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stepped into the waiting room just as the doctor arrived to give them news.

He breathed in relief as she explained that the patients were being kept for a couple of days but were going to be just fine. The most severe thing had been Dean's concussion.

Bobby and Johnny came in then too having failed to find Sam but relieved to see him back.

"It looked way worse than it was." The doctor whispered then shook her head. "Someone will come get you once they are in rooms."

"Doctor, for everyone's piece of mind I request that you put Dean and Arandi in the same room or else you are going to have a concussed, grouchy pain in the ass roaming your halls." Bobby stressed.

"That can be arranged." The doctor smiled and walked away.

She was barely out of the area before a nurse came running.

"She's awake and responsive." She said excitedly. "Mary Winchester is going to pull through."

In the excitement of the news only Bobby stared at Sam with haunted eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Do we really have to stay here?" Dean groused. "I feel fine."

"Give me a high five." Johnny said.

Dean missed by a mile.

"That's what I thought."

Dean grumbled and laid his head back on the bed. "She's really ok?"

"Fine. Thank goodness." Jo breathed as she tucked a blanket over Arandi's arms.

Arandi was out of it.

"Do you remember what happened?" Jo asked.

"I was driving and suddenly this truck just came out of nowhere. I just remember flipping and nothing. Sorry about your jeep."

Jo smiled. "I've been wanting a new car anyway. I'm just glad you are all going to be ok."

Sam walked in then.

"Alright then. We are going to finish making the rounds and then go home and sleep in our beds. We'll see you tomorrow." Johnny said and took Jo's hand. He stopped in front of Sam and locked eyes with him. He could do nothing more than mouth the words 'thank you.' The emotions to high. He knew that something had happened and he wasn't so sure he wanted to know the details. They had enough crap to deal with.

Sam nodded and watched them leave.

"How ya feelin'?" Sam asked.

"Like I was hit by a truck." Dean shrugged.

Sam stared at him as if mentally evaluating him.

"I'm fine, Sammy. So mom's really going to be ok?"

"Yeah, she's awake, already ate something. She's a Winchester alright."

Dean nodded and closed his eyes, nodding wasn't such a great idea at the moment.

He opened his eyes again and stared right into Sam's. "Now tell me what the fuck you did?"

"What?" Sam acted affronted.

"Sam, I know I was about die. I was in so much pain and every breath I tried to take was drowning in my own blood. Now here I am with a headache and seeing double a few scrapes and bruises. Fucking tell me what you did."

Sam huffed. Dean acted as if this was something new as if wouldn't do the same damn thing. The lies on the tip of his tongue but his brother was going to be like a pit bull on a bone. "I told Azazel to back off. I was really pissed and some of that energy sort of just came out of me. Literally. I told him to fix things or else."

Dean stared at him gaging him. "That's it? No crossroad deals or hell hounds ripping you to pieces?"

"No. He must have been trying to make sure I didn't go after him. There would have been nothing stopping me if I had lost all of you. It would have been just me and dad. That would have ended ugly."

"If I find out you lied to me, Sammy." Dean growled.

The light fixture above them zapped out and shattered. Sprinkling tiny shards of glass everywhere. The screen taking Dean's vitals beeped a loud alarm and cracked down the middle.

"I'll go get help." Sam said slowly as flexed his hands and looked around.

Dean watched him walk away and unclenched his own fists.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The doctor ended up keeping them three days. Just in case. Part of her thinking they were going to keel over any moment at the same time that she argued with herself that she was working too hard and so was her 'I need to hire more staff' overworked nurses and such.

Miracles or overworked she was putting it all behind her before she lost it completely and the hospital would really be screwed. Miracles and lightning striking stone benches. She didn't dare ask what next.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beth insisted that everyone stay in the Remington home. So she could fuss over them all and not have to walk from one house to the other. She was still too rattled to want any of them out of her sight. She had nearly lost half her family just like that and damned if she was taking any chances.

The weather had gotten nasty. Downpours of rain and dark, dark skies. They were pretty much stuck indoors anyway.

Sam was sure it was all from Azazel brooding.

A couple of weeks slipped by too fast.

Soon everyone was back on their feet and ready to go back to their 'normal' lives.

Sam and Jade left first. They had so much work to catch up on.

"Double check all the sigils when you get back." John said casually.

"Never would have thought of that." Sam huffed.

"For the love of God." Mary growled.

"Sorry, mom." Sam smiled. "Hard habit to break."

"Alright you be safe and your dad I will be swinging by to visit in a couple of months. About time we took a vacation."

Sam smiled. "Sounds great."

"You know we'll be there too." Beth chimed in. "Rufus and Bobby can house sit. They haven't bickered in a while."

"We would go to but Jo's not gonna be up too much traveling soon." Johnny grinned from ear to ear as he hugged her from behind and rubbed her belly.

"Oh my God, really?" Ellen squealed.

They nodded.

"You're going to be a grandpa, Bobby." Dean teased.

"Poor kid ain't gonna know what hit him." Bobby muttered.

"You're going to be great." Ellen hugged him and then squeezed her daughter and son in law.

Dean and Sam turned to face two moms with raised brows and crossed arms. "We're working on it." They said in unison.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You still gonna swing by and check on me?" Sam asked as Dean walked him to their rented car. "67 black Impala's sort of stick out."

"Yet you never gave a sign of caring I was there."

Sam rolled his eyes. "If you wanted to see me I think you know how to knock."

"You'd probably answer the same way you answer your phone. Never."

The brothers stared at one another. Why was it so hard to say I love you?

"Take care, Sammy." Dean said evenly and walked back towards the house.

"You too." Sam said.

Only in their lives could things just fall back into place like it was nothing to freak out about.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi could see that Dean was itching to get back on the road. Still he stayed put for five days to spend time with his mom before he began to crack.

He had to make sure Mary was ok. Now Arandi knew where Dean got the 'I'm fine' when death was a breath away. She was rattled too. Now she knew the strain Dean felt in a way. The echo of 'what's dead should stay dead' whispering in her ear like a hated melody that wouldn't stop. She had died she knew it without a doubt. It had brought her awake more than once since. She had been in a dark place and something bright was coming her way and then she was staring at hospital lights.

She wasn't sure if Dean realized that everyone was sort of freaked out. He was far from alone on this one.

John and him made nice but tension was there like thick fog. Finally, Dean couldn't take another day and they bid their mom's goodbye while their dads were at work.

Jonathan was going to be upset. John probably wouldn't even notice.

Dean didn't say a word for miles. His face grim.

Arandi let him be, settled back to play word games on her phone.

"I hope your mom didn't make you feel bad because Jo is having a baby before you." Dean blurted miles later.

"I'm happy for them. We'll get there eventually."

"We have to stop hunting be at home again." He sighed.

"With a baby it will be different."

"I want my kids to have a normal life. Would it be horrible to not even train them? To tell them there is nothing in their closet or under the bed?"

"We would never be able to pull that off. Our lives weren't that bad."

"Yeah, look at us now. We've seen and done things that most people in their eighties haven't come close to even touching."

"We've saved a lot of lives, love. That's what keeps us going."

"Self-preservation be damned." Dean muttered. "How many people are going to remember us in the end?"

"The Winchester and Remington Chronicles. We're legends according to Ash."

Dean smiled at that. "Just call me Billy the Kid."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary tried to get comfortable on the bed. She had slept way more than she was used and right now she just wanted to curl up and read. She didn't want to dwell on all the things thrumming just below the surface. She didn't want to think about what Sam might have done for them to be breathing still.

Demons did not hand out favors just because you asked politely. Sam insisted that no deals of soul trades had been made. He had given a warning. It was hard to imagine that a powerful demon would be afraid of Sam.

There so many unanswered questions and Mary was going to dig. She had to, what other life did she hold if her boys weren't part of it.

John walked into the bedroom with a large steaming mug with a sheepish grin.

Mary smiled. He had been through enough guilt ridden strife and she reached for the mug of her favorite hot tea. "Thank you."

"Just don't ever do that to me, to us again." John whispered.

"Looks like the Winchester stubbornness has rubbed off on me."

"Good. Now let's hope that stubbornness keeps us alive until we figure out how to get rid of Azazel for good."

"Do you think Sam lied?" She blurted.

"No." John replied quickly. "He's…. he's got something going on inside of him and only Sam can decide which direction to go with it. Every outcome has a choice before it."

"We raised him right. Well we tried." Mary sighed.

"We raised them both right, Mary but they have seen and done things that would put most people in padded cells. Worse than what we grew up with. Things just keep getting worse. I'm not thrilled about either of them being out there but they made their choices."

"You think Azazel with come after Dean?"

John huffed. "Wouldn't you? Sam may not show his love for Dean like Dean does but it's there and if anything would push Sam to do dangerous things is Dean being in danger. I'm not saying that he wouldn't do that for you or Jade or any of us but their connection has always been the most unique of bonds."

Mary nodded as she sipped her tea. "I'm really worried about Dean. He's got so much pent up rage and now more than ever."

"You're telling me. I'm not afraid of much but even I had to do the eggshell walk of life while he was here. It was like he was just waiting for me to say one thing that he could pounce on me for." John huffed as he got comfortable on the bed to do his own reading. "Plus I had to replace the punching bag again if that tells you anything. He didn't even tape his hands."

Mary winced at the thought. Pain tolerance was just a sign of too much pain in a life. He was too young for that but she knew. Dean and Arandi didn't tell them about every hunt they did. She couldn't be a mom and not notice the extra scars and just how thick Dean's journal seemed to be getting.

"Do you ever wonder how different things would be if you had let me die?" John asked slowly.

Mary whipped her head around fast. "Never and I'm not about to start." She snapped.

John smiled and raised his hands in surrender. He didn't deserve her and he would have been lost without her. That demon was going to pay one way or another.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean bit into his burger. He was starving but far from in the mood to eat. Something wasn't right and he just couldn't put a finger on it.

He looked over at Arandi who was only moving her fruit around on a paper plate staring at the screen of her laptop.

"You alright?" He asked around the bite and swallowed it harshly.

"Tired." She replied.

"Go get ready for bed then. I'll clean up."

She sighed and stuffed a piece of cantaloupe in her mouth before pushing the plate away she closed the site she was on and stood up. "Thank you, love." She kissed his forehead.

She grabbed her things and headed into the bathroom and closed the door.

Dean took one more bite. He hated to waste food but he also hated to be reintroduced to food he forced down. He stood up and started to put everything away.

He started to close Arandi's laptop when something caught his eye. She hadn't closed out everything. He clicked on the window and slumped into the seat where she had been.

His heart ached like mad and that feeling of something being wrong slammed into him nearly as hard as the truck had. Arandi had died. He was staring at the hospital records Sam had hacked from the hospital in case staff decided to snoop about the 'miraculous' recoveries.

She had been pronounced brain dead. The food threatened to come back up and he swallowed compulsively. She had died. She had died and he suddenly couldn't breathe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi let the hot water fall over her body. She lathered her hair and leaned under the spray of water. She could cry in the shower with no one none the wiser. She just didn't know why she wanted to cry.

They had survived it all. Lord only knew what Sam had done but they were alive to fight another day or days as it was.

Maybe she was spoiled. Ok she was spoiled and she adored Dean's attention even though sometimes she pretended to be annoyed. She had died and…. he was close behind. So why did she feel so lost? Dean had been in his own bubble of agony he didn't know the rest of the details and he had enough on his shoulders to need the burden of her spazzing out over something he had no control over.

It had to go in another file to never be named again. She took a deep breath and got out of the shower.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean paced the room like an angry wild tiger. He had somehow pulled himself together. He had too. Arandi didn't need more stress or any doubts. He had no way of knowing what had happened until he saw the file.

He wasn't going to bring it up unless she did and there was no need to. He just needed to love her never let her have a doubt that he didn't need her.

If that was what was running through her mind. He didn't know and he didn't want to think about Arandi burning on a pyre of wood to never be held again. To never see those eyes that owned his soul and the smile that made his world turn.

He felt gut wrenched at the thought. It had happened and somehow Sam had undone it. He was never so grateful and so pissed about the same thing at the same time.

He heard the shower turn off and he walked with a purpose toward the bathroom door. They had a rule to not lock doors when it was just them. He walked in as Arandi was running a towel over her hair.

She looked at him a bit surprised but she breathed in relief and instant want as Dean surged toward her and lifted her onto the counter of the sink placing himself between her legs.

"I love you so much, baby." He nibbled into her wet skin.

"Me too." She moaned as she pushed at his clothes that needed to be off ten minutes ago. It was what she needed for the moment and it seemed it was what he needed too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean!" Arandi yelled finally breaking Dean from the rage filled haze. His eyes glued to the man's who he presently had pinned to a wall off the ground.

The man, Calvin, had made the worst mistake of his life when he had shoved Arandi for beating him at pool.

"Shove me like that, bitch." Dean had hissed.

Calvin thought because he had a few more friends with him that he had the upper hand. Only his friends were strewn about unconscious or wishing they were and a he was losing air pretty damn fast.

The green eyed man was way stronger than he looked and apparently his wife was a fucking ninja, suddenly losing three hundred dollars to a woman didn't seem like that much of a big deal.

"Dean, we have to go."

"You better thank God every day that she stopped me." Dean growled.

Calvin was sure his bladder wasn't going to hold up much longer. Not even the sounds of approaching sirens calmed him any. He knew he was looking into the eyes of a killer and he was going to thank God every day hell even start going to church when he watched the couple walk away.

He lost the battle with his bladder when Dean stopped near the door fury still etched on his face and the knife imbedded without even room for a slip of paper next to Calvin's temple. The look said he'd missed on purpose. He lost control of other things.

His memory of what happened was suddenly going to be hazy as hell because he would chop off his own left nut and swallow it with Tabasco before he ever wanted to look into those eyes again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dude, have you heard of a fricking breath mint." Dean grumbled as the werewolf breathed in his face where he laid on top of him on the ground. His gun with silver bullets too far to reach.

The wolf grabbed Dean's right arm into its jaw and began to bite down. Dean tried to yank free feeling his skin begin to tear. Gun shots filled the air and the wolf fell dead onto Dean.

In seconds it was morphed back to its human naked self. Dean shoved the body off of himself and scrambled away clutching his arm.

Arandi crouched besides him. "Did it bite you?"

"No, you got it just in time."

She looked at him.

"What?"

"Cutting it close don't you think?"

"I knew you had my back." Dean scrambled to his feet. "Now let's clean up and head back to the room."

Arandi was a bit on edge. Ever since they had gotten back on the road Dean had been finding one hunt after another hardly taking a break in between. Starting bar fights at every bar and way more tense than was good on any hunt.

He was taking too many chances and if she even breeched the subject he played the guilt card on her about all the lives that would be lost if they took a day off.

She sighed and followed him

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Let's go play some pool." Dean said already showered and ready to head out the door.

"I just want to relax if you don't mind." Arandi replied trying to find something comfortable to wear. 'Time to do laundry.' She thought.

Dean pressed up behind her. "Just a couple of games a couple of beers and some hot wings and we'll come back and I'll help you relax." He kissed and nibbled behind her ear.

"Go and I'll stay here." They had gotten maybe twelve hours of sleep in the past week. Even they couldn't keep that up forever.

"You know I can't do that."

She rolled her eyes. "If you haven't noticed I can take care of myself."

Dean stared at her, his hands on his hips as he licked his lips. "It's just a couple of hours."

"Exactly." A couple of hours of sleep. She brushed past him to get to the bathroom and he grabbed her elbow and pulled her back.

He worked the under the lashes look and the caught in the teeth bottom lip. Usually she couldn't resist either and combined it was killer but she was exhausted. "Please."

"Dean, I'm tired. I'm taking a shower and crawling into bed."

She didn't expect hurricane Dean to strike. "You act like I'm asking you to give up a kidney or something, fuck, Arandi, all I want is a couple of hours out with my wife!"

She blinked up at him where he now had her pushed against the wall pinned in by his arms. This was so not the time to pull macho on her. "Dean, I love you, but if you value your junk you better back up now."

Dean inched his face closer. His eyes blazed and his nose flared. "Why are you being such a bitch?"

In all their time together. Dean had never, ever resorted to this. Not out loud anyway. It hurt way more than it should. "Just trying to match how much of a dick you're being." She hissed and ducked down to get past Dean's arms. She rushed in the bathroom and locked the door.

He was either going to leave or he was going to boil over in the room until she came out.

It was more shock than anything that sent her to the floor when the door was kicked in before she could move out of the way. Pain stung through her back as she scrambled to get herself upright. Instead she ended up back against the wall her knees up to her chest.

Dean had to be possessed, he had to be. Only he wasn't.

She never in her life thought she would have to defend herself against her husband.

He stood in the splintered doorway. The rage draining away when he realized what he had done.

Never in a million years did he except to see fear in Arandi's eyes directed at him. It was only there for a second but it had been there.

He moved towards her to help her up, to apologize, kiss her ass, whatever it fucking took to get that look off her face.

The second he crouched she shoved and he fell to his ass. The slamming of the motel room door an echo screaming how badly he had just fucked up.

He scrambled to get up his eyes catching sight of the smears of blood where she had been just moments before.

He had hurt her. Fucking shit he had hurt her. Something he had sworn he would never do. What the hell was wrong with him? Ever since he'd nearly lost his mom and the crashing worry of what Sam might have done to save them all and knowing that Arandi would be dead, he felt like a pressure cooker.

He ran for the door. The parking lot held only a couple of cars and Arandi was nowhere in sight.

He rushed to get his phone only to find hers beside it. He ran back outside yelling her name. Waited for a sound nothing but mocking silence came back at him.

He grabbed the keys and headed to the Impala. He had to find her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He drove down every road, every alley. Then started looking in bars. The only places open that time of night. He found nothing.

By the fifth bar he was furious again but this time for a good reason. Arandi didn't deserve any of his hang ups.

He started the bar fight. Again. Taking on seven all his own. He could do some major ass kicking when he was mad but seven still got their hits in even as he laid them out one by one.

He was so fucking angry for what had nearly claimed his mom's life and everyone else. He couldn't shake the feeling that Sam was in deeper than he was letting on and he had been a powder keg ready to explode for days.

He waited for Arandi to pull him away but it didn't happen. Somehow he drove back to the room, staggered inside half conscious, she would take care of him, she always did.

As he slipped into darkness he never felt more alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean groaned. His body sore, his mouth dry. He was tucked under the covers in his boxers and that meant….

He tried to sit up too fast. Bobby's cross face met him.

"Bout time sleeping beauty no one here was gonna kiss ya."

"Arandi?"

"She came to get her phone found you beat to shit and here I am. So tell me why I'm here instead of eating Ellen's bourbon apple pie?"

"I fucked up." Dean groaned dropping his head into his open palms once he sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Tell me something I don't already know."

"I have this crap pent up inside of me and killing monsters helps but I feel so mad, I just want to rip things apart. I don't want to have time to sit around and think about it. I took it out on her, the only person who really gets me and I…."

"Dr. Phil I ain't, son, so the only advice I can give you is let her be until she puts it together. I've never seen Arandi look so lost."

"I did that to her." Dean murmured.

"What'd ya know your marriage ain't perfect. Someone alert the media."

Dean shook his head. He realized that it had been a very long time since they had been apart so long. "Where is she?"

"No clue. She was gone before I could blink."

Dean looked around. Arandi's things gone. His chest hurt and not just from the beating.

Bobby left soon after, he could take only so much mule headed idjits. Dean was up and dressed even though he couldn't even stand up straight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She missed him like oxygen, like water, but she wasn't going back. Not yet, she knew she would eventually that was inevitable but he was so mad and it was going to get him, them, killed.

She knew he had been full of rage since what had happened with his mom. He felt as if Sam had gone behind everyone's back and done something stupid. His dad just adding fuel to the fire.

Maybe Dean had expected Sam to stay she wasn't sure but he had snapped. She never thought it would be directed at her.

She would give him his space. Let him put himself together, pray hard that he didn't get in over his head at the next bar fight or try to hunt on his own. He could would probably be damn good at it but she didn't want that.

She thought she had covered her tracks well but Dean was a genius at tracking even without GPS and credit card trails.

Though she was a bit startled she wasn't really surprised when she woke in the middle of the night to find Dean sitting on the floor next to her bed, back against the wall, his knees up his hands dangling from the wrists on his knees and his head down.

He was stealthier than ever and she berated herself for not being more alert.

"Not gonna hurt you." He whispered not lifting his head.

He was hurt again. Probably another bar fight. Arandi could tell from the small twitches of his body. "Are you ok?"

"Not until I hold you again." He rasped. "Not until you know that I would rather die than see that look on your face again."

Arandi sighed and pulled back the covers. Dean dead was not an option in any scenario. She slowly padded over to him. Her fingers ached to touch him. If that made her weak then so be it.

He lifted his head, let it fall back with a thunk against the wall. His face bruised and cut. One eye nearly swollen shut.

"Dean." She said like it hurt her.

"I'm sorry. So fucking sorry." He murmured. He fingers twitched. He needed to touch her just as badly.

She didn't want to be weak. She didn't want to be one of those women that let the hurt keep coming. This was Dean. The sunshine of her life who protected her with every breath. He'd messed up badly. Imagine that Dean Winchester wasn't perfect and neither was she.

He was far from perfect and that made her love him all the more.

She sighed again. Who was she kidding? She had pretty much forgiven him the moment she found him unconscious and took care of him till Bobby arrived. The only reason she didn't stay then was because she was afraid he didn't want her there.

That he had pushed so hard because she wasn't enough anymore. Yeah she could be that insecure.

She startled when Dean's hand touched her face with such reverence that she didn't deserve. His knuckles swollen and bloody. He let his legs slide out straight in front of him and she was in his lap before he had another doubt. Her face buried in his neck. Perfect fit. Always was.

She listened to him breathe and she was able to again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She made him strip to his boxers. Tending to him like always. He sat quietly, dazed eyes stared at her in wonder.

Only Dean could look beautiful beat to shit.

She sutured every cut. Iced every bruise. Kissed him to make sure he was real.

Neither of them spoke. They didn't need too. He was forgiven, her hands told him that. His eyes told her he didn't deserve her. Well too bad, he was stuck with her.

She gave him some pills. Then led him to the bed. He spooned in behind her and wrapped around her like second skin. Perfect fit. Always was.

"You died." He said in barely a whisper.

She got it then. The rage taking him over hadn't been just for his mom and brother but her as well. It made her ache. She should have known that Dean knew.

He loved her and just like losing him would be her end. His losing her would be the beginning of the end and dear God she didn't even want to think how far he would go if she died and stayed dead if just the thought of her being dead had led them here.

She turned to bury her face against his chest. Doing everything she could not to cry. He pulled her closer. Perfect fit. Always was.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	31. OTHER WAY AROUND

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! Live Long and Prosper! May The Force Be with You! May you never have a day without Dean or Sam!

I have a cold and Nyquil is having just a bit of an effect on me so please forgive me for my holiday rant.

Wish I could give every one of you what you want and need and deserve.

On to the story.

OTHER WAY AROUND

Days later it was as if none it had happened. They were back to normal. Mostly.

Dean had gone over her back with a fine tooth comb that first night. She had had a couple of splinters but he acted as if he had shot her. The rage coming back full throttle but completely directed in every other form but anything to do with her.

He kissed her and spoiled her but it was as if he was punishing himself from anything else. She didn't ask she just went with it and waited as patiently as she could.

She watched him glare at walls and make even men blush with his charm not three seconds later. Dean's magical switch for making life easier. Easier for who was left to be seen.

It wasn't until nearly three weeks later that Dean woke her with opened mouth kisses all down her body. Did it for hours until she was so primed she was sure if he looked at her cross eyed she would go over.

He slipped into her slow and easy. Gentle rocking, hands roaming until they were lost in ecstasy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean watched Arandi sleep. Her black hair splayed over the pillow. Her face soft and relaxed in sleep. Sleep, just sleep.

She had put it all behind her. He still felt that rage thrumming under his skin. He would never take it out on her again. He hoped anyway. He didn't deserve her but was grateful for every breath with her.

He pulled the sheet off her slowly. She was naked underneath. One arm over her head the other across her beautiful taut, tanned stomach. One leg straight out the other bent at the knee.

The tattoo they had gotten so long ago still at her hip but broken. He wondered where they would be if she had never done that.

They were never that far from each other anyway and would never be if he had his say. As a Winchester, he should have known better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Another anniversary slipped by and for once they celebrated to their hearts content. Dining and dancing. Flowers and drunken karaoke Making love for hours.

Dean would never look at cheese cake the same. He was going to sprout wood every time he saw it on a menu. That was going to get awkward quick, fast, and in a hurry. He knew Arandi was going to grin at him every time she saw it too.

Her eyes shimmered when he gave her the silver necklace with the hidden silver blade and matching bracelet. So jewelry could be pretty and practical at the same time.

He told her there was a whole box of replacement blades in her duffle. She was thrilled.

She gave him the Marine tactical watch he had been dying to get but kept putting it off because of the price. He had looked at it once in her presence.

They handled a few more hunts and then begrudgingly headed home for the holidays.

Dean wasn't too thrilled because he knew his mom would expect them to stay until his and Arandi's birthday. Two months at home, hooray.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't too bad. They got to spend time with their blue eyed baby niece and they both looked at each other. They both wanted to hold their own so badly but it just wasn't their time.

Arandi looked radiant holding the baby girl. A sadness she did her best to hide deep inside her.

Dean couldn't stop grinning and making baby sounds he swore were just coming out on their own.

Sam and Jade arrived soon after and one baby girl couldn't possibly have more love.

Mary and Beth still looked at their children as if they could pop one out on command until Dean pulled them aside when Arandi and Jade made a run next door to retrieve things their mom needed.

"You're making Arandi sad and I need you to stop." He said straight forward. "She's been through enough. She doesn't need to be reminded constantly about this." He motioned towards the baby. "Please. It will happen when it happens."

Mary and Beth instantly felt bad. They in no way meant to hurt their children.

Dean and Arandi ended up in the tree house. Laying in the cold air of the now little used place. It would spring to life again someday. It still held so many good memories and Bobby kept it up like a vacation home.

"I stopped taking my birth control a long time ago." She said. "I guess I should have told you."

Dean snickered. "It's alright. I replaced them with placebos a long time ago."

Arandi smacked his arm.

"I'm kidding." He snuggled closer to her. He wanted a family of his own but it was more leverage against them and that was just so much pain.

"What I'm trying to say is that I haven't gotten pregnant and I'm beginning to get worried."

"Don't be. Jade hasn't gotten pregnant either."

"She's still on the pill. They are waiting until they pass the bar and get their careers going."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

"Do you want us to get checked?"

"No, not yet. Although I'm sure you're dying to spit your boys into a cup."

"Only if you're holding it and I'm not talking about the cup."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone got along better than Dean could have expected. He did miss the home cooking and his mom's infectious laughter.

Somehow John made it nearly the entire time without a lecture or a scowl.

Dean and Sam were sure their mom had threatened the tree house or worse if he misbehaved.

They played pool, drank too much, and retold stories no one got tired of hearing.

Dean and Sam just this side of tipsy cornered their mom with mistletoe. She shrieked with laughter. Then they went after Beth.

Dean then took the mistletoe to Arandi. Started to forget they weren't alone until he got clunked with a piece of ice to the back of the head.

"There are children present." His mom scolded.

"The children is asleep." Dean pointed out with a hiccup. "Just checking if my wife was naughty or nice."

"The verdict?" Sam asked.

"Very, very naughty…...but in a nice way." He wagged his eyebrows.

Sam doubled over in laughter as Ash walked in the door right under the other hanging mistletoe where Dean stood alone.

Arandi slid to the floor in hiccups and giggles.

"Can't pass it up, Dean, it's bad luck." Ellen chuckled.

"We have enough of that crap. Pucker up buttercup."

Ash barely had a chance to look around before Dean's lips were on his.

Everyone in the room was rolling.

Dean stumbled back giggling and slid to floor beside his wife. "You have been Winchestered." He winked dramatically.

"I should kick your ass." Arandi huffed and broke into another attack of the giggles.

"Fuck, I think I'm gay." Ash muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone was passed out around the living room. Jo was the only who had stayed sober to watch her baby but she had laughed so hard her ribs ached. She had finally been able to lead Johnny up to a spare bedroom to get some sleep.

Dean and Sam were sitting back to back passing a bottle of whatever was left back and forth.

"Remember the first time we got drunk together?" Dean slurred.

"Yeah, I threw up for a week kind of hard to forget."

"Mom was so mad. I thought we were going to be grounded for life."

"Dad actually saved us that time. Boys will be boys and be glad they did it at home." Sam mimicked their dad.

"Saved us? He was looking forward to torturing us with through the hangovers."

"Made us train until mom found out."

"We swore we would never drink again."

They both burst out laughing.

They grew quiet for a moment.

"Are you ok, Sammy?"

"Everything has been normal, just a dream far and in between. You?"

"Anger issues, Dr. Phil wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole."

"You gotta stay safe, Dean, even though we're far apart I still need my big brother."

Dean smiled. "Same here little brother."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

John stepped over his passed out boys. He shook his head but grinned. They had grown up so fast. He had hoped that he had shown them at least how proud he was of them and how much he loved them even though the words always got stuck in his throat.

He hadn't had that example in his life. His dad had walked out when he was still young and his mom had had very little luck in love after that.

"Remember the first time they got drunk together?" Mary whispered beside him.

"How can I forget? Sam threw up for a week and Dean was green just as long." John chuckled.

"Hmm. Yet you chose to torture them."

"It was a life lesson. They had to suffer the consequences. You don't always get to sleep it off especially in our life."

"They were teen boys, John, trying to be normal."

"Normal flew out the door the moment they were born to us."

"That was your point of view." She sighed and started up the stairs.

He looked at their boys one last time before he followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke to giggles and snickering. The unmistakable soft click of photos being taken and he opened one eye.

"Oh crap." He mumbled. Smacking his lips at the sour taste in his mouth.

Somehow during the night Ash had crawled between him and Sam. Ash had his head on Dean's shoulder and Sam had himself draped over both of them.

Dean started to move but soon realized that Ash's hand was just above a very prominent 'need to piss yesterday' morning wood and apparently Ash had the same condition pressed against Dean's hip. At least Dean hoped that he needed to piss.

"See what happens when you feed strays." Bobby snorted.

Sam mumbled in his sleep and moved against Ash. Which moved Ash's hand lower and Dean was sure he now held the world's record for fastest floor to feet action.

"Looks like I'm going to be getting those boots Sam said were too expensive." Jade chuckled holding up her phone.

"She's gonna be a lawyer alright." John chuckled.

Dean, now that he was free just had to get in on the action. He pushed gently until Ash turned towards Sam burying his face in Sam's chest.

Jade tried hard not to laugh her ass off and ruin the moment, gently reached in and undid Sam's jeans.

Johnny stepped it up by mixing some whipped cream with a bit of milk and Jade sprinkled it over Sam's crotch.

Dean and Bobby were already about to bust a gut they could barely catch their breath.

Finally, everything in place. Jade stood over her husband. "SAM!"

He sat bolt upright blinking in surprise and trying to get his bearings. When he saw Ash and felt the now sticky concoction on the front of his jeans his color drained.

Dean was on the floor gasping for air.

"Something I should know, Sam." Jade asked acting it up with her arms crossed and tapping her foot angrily.

"I…...this…...I…...whiskey…..." Sam tried. "DEAN?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean laughed the entire day. Arandi was glad to see it even if was with Sam scowling like the kid that didn't get what he wanted for Christmas.

He finally got into the spirit when he saw everyone's jovial mood.

He started giving Ash sly secret winks.

Ash wasn't sure whether to be freaked out or honored that he had been kissed by one Winchester and flirted with by the brother. Score one for 'dear diary'. He wasn't gay. Really he wasn't.

And that was how the days went. Carrying on and pranks that had Mary and Beth feeling like they had a house full of kids. The best holiday in a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, think about this." Sam huffed.

"Shhh." Dean replied.

"I don't think we should prank Bobby because Ellen…..."

"Because Ellen what?" She asked behind them.

The Winchesters both cringed. Their stealth had let them down. Must be what happened when drinking every day for…...how long had it been now? They both turned on their best puppy dog wide eyed innocence look.

"Pretty good. Pretty sure it only works on your moms and wives. Maybe Jo. Ash for sure."

"We just…...we were…" They both stammered.

Ellen broke into a huge grin. "Boys, let me show you how it's done."

Dean and Sam matched the grin and Bobby wouldn't dare stay mad at Ellen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I know she didn't do it alone." Bobby growled. "Ellen just doesn't…."

"Ellen just doesn't what?" She asked behind Bobby.

Bobby didn't turn. He stared daggers at Dean and Sam as they stood shoulder to shoulder with the practiced look of innocence.

He worked the scowl away and replaced it with as genuine a smile as he could. "These two could make Mother Theresa trip up."

"Mother Theresa I ain't and old man you need to use your glasses." She pointed to the driveway.

Bobby scowled at the Winchesters again and walked over to see what Ellen was pointing at. His classic Chevelle which he had found in parts all over the yard was now whole again. Impossible to do within the minutes that Bobby had hunted down the Winchesters.

He looked in every nook and cranny and found nothing to show for it. "I know what I saw."

Dean and Sam were barely holding it together.

"Balls." Bobby growled and locked up his car before heading to work on whatever.

Rufus, Ash, John, and Johnny stepped out from behind a bush and Rufus held a steering wheel in his hand as Dean and Sam folded over.

"Now that felt good." Rufus laughed.

Ellen grinned. She winked at the Winchesters.

It had been touch and go but they had pulled it off. Ellen was a queen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam startled as Arandi ran past him and Jade shoving them back against the wall as she squealed. Neither of them moved as Dean zoomed past them right on her tail.

They crashed through the back door as Mary, Beth, and Ellen stared wide eyed. They moved towards the kitchen window and Sam and Jade moved to the door.

Arandi zig zagged all over the yard but Dean was incredibly fast for his size. Something he was very proud of. Arandi was fast but Dean had that special built in nitro.

He caught up with her in one blast of speed and swooped her up with one arm around her waist and kept on going like the added weight barely fazed him.

Arandi squealed in defeat and delight.

Their family only stared smiling. They didn't know what had started the hyper game of tag but seeing them smiling and laughing was an added spark of joy to the holiday.

"Dean, don't do it!" Arandi yelled. Sam and Jade started running. They had to see what Dean had planned.

He only laughed wildly and dove. The steep hill where they had learned to climb and repel in their training and roll down and sled when they were having fun and the brief stint into the BMX tricks, wasn't going to stop an adult Dean.

Sam and Jade watched as the other couple rolled over and over in each other's arms all the way to the bottom where a large pile of leaves waited. Dean and Arandi crashed into it both of them laughing like mad.

Arandi was on top of Dean looking down at him as if she had just discovered the meaning of life or the world's rarest treasure. Dean grinned up at her with just as much reverence.

Sam and Jade looked at each and blushed. They loved each other like mad but Dean and Arandi made their love be felt in the air like static and fresh cut roses.

"Do it, Sammy!" Dean yelled from the bottom. "I'll make sure you get a treat."

Sam's grin widened and he had Jade in his arms before she could bolt. The roll down the hill was going to leave them sore but it was the best thing in the world to hear his wife giggle like crazy and lay beside his brother sharing the happiness that even they could achieve sometimes.

"About that treat." Sam chuckled.

"I forgot are you a brownie man or a rice crispy treat slut." Dean asked seriously.

"It pains me that you don't remember."

"Cheese cake, bro. I'm telling you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So you haven't drilled me." Jade said casually as she sat beside Arandi on the back steps of the Winchester house. They were watching their husbands once again retreating to their seven-year-old frames of mind with sling shots.

Arandi shrugged as she took a swig from her mango cooler. "Maybe I don't want to know."

Jaded sighed. She took a drink from her Pina colada. "I was so mad at him. I thought he had made a deal. I thought I was going to lose him even though he did it to save me, us. It was like a crazy no win situation. One of us lives without the other."

"He wouldn't lie to you."

"About something like that? I wasn't sure but he said, he swore he made no deals."

"But?"

"He's been having dreams again. Most of the time he doesn't remember but I'm scared that they might be visions and if they are things are going to get bad."

Arandi licked her lips and smiled at Dean when he turned to wink at her. "We are going to be ok, Jade."

Her little sister nodded. "I know but sometimes I get scared. Sam wakes up and maybe it's me being half asleep or a trick of the lights but it's gone before I can make sure and I swear I was looking into…."

"Yellow eyes." Arandi finished in a whisper.

Jade looked over at her sister but let it drop as the others joined them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Christmas day dawned crisp and cold snow on the ground that hadn't been predicted. More people joined in and presents spread far from what one ten foot Christmas tree could hold.

Enough food for half the state. Pumpkin cheese cake with a wink from Arandi. Instant boner in a room full of people. Thank god for the dining table.

A quickie in the upstairs linen closet.

Merry Christmas!

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was a rousing game of football. Dean showed them all that he might be older but he still had the football player in him. He took his tackles seriously and all those on the receiving end of one were going to feel it for days.

They all had fun though as the day became night and they sat around a fire drinking egg nog and spiked apple cider. They sang, they told stories.

Bobby nearly busted a gut when both Dean and Sam found their hands glued to their glasses of Johnnie Walker.

So it wasn't the greatest prank in the world but he wasn't going to be made a fool of and he wasn't going to be sleeping in his car so he smartly left Ellen out of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

New Year's Eve Johnny arrived with enough fireworks to last the entire night. They sat wrapped in blankets watching the works while sipping on hot spiked cider.

Five minutes before midnight Arandi pulled Dean into the back seat of the Impala and they celebrated their way. Ending one year and starting the next in the throes of passion.

Their own kind of fireworks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Jade left a week later.

Dean and Arandi the day after their birthday.

For the first time in a long time it was actually hard to go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stood at the bar. Drinking his beer casually letting his eyes roam the room. They were playing classic rock so he sang under his breath.

"Well, hello there hottie." A female voice purred close by and Dean had to look down. Even in heels the redheaded woman was about five six

"Hi." Dean smiled.

"So you wanna buy me a drink? Name's Sandy by the by."

"Actually I'm waiting for someone and I'm Dean."

"Oh come on one little drink." She batted her lashes and Dean felt a warm hand on his thigh.

He quirked an eyebrow and looked around again. He motioned the bartender. "Give the lady what she wants."

Sandy giggled. Her hand went a bit higher. Dean tensed up. "Whoa there. You're getting into dangerous territory."

"I like a little danger." She purred. Took a long sip from the tropical concoction she had ordered. "Or should I say big, big danger."

"Ok then um…listen…...it's all good but…..."

"You're gay." Sandy pouted.

"No!" Dean said in a scandalized voice.

"It's ok. Honey, the best of them usually are."

Dean's eyes darkened. "I said I'm not gay."

"Prove it." Sandy smiled wickedly.

He slammed back the rest of his beer and grabbed Sandy by the wrist and dragged her outside into the parking lot and far into a dark corner.

He pushed her against a wall and started letting his hands roam.

Sandy mewled her head thrown back.

Dean spun her around and started to pull her dress up slowly. He undid his jeans. He leaned in close to her ear. "Gotcha."

"Enjoying it a little too much don't you think?" Arandi stepped from the shadows. She shoved Dean back and stood in front of Sandy who now turned to face them both. Her features morphing into a horrible monstrous being for just a moment.

"You had to undo your jeans?"

"The package is still tucked away." Dean smirked.

"The package had better be like you just jumped naked dick first in the snow."

"Why don't you come and find out?"

"Seriously? I could rip you both apart without a blink and you're bickering?" Sandy groused.

Arandi's features nearly went feral. "Let's dance."

Sandy attacked. Moving faster than a human would be able too well any other human beside Arandi. Arandi spun beautifully and Dean leaned back to watch. He didn't dare get in the way. The spark of jealousy had not been an act and he valued his jewels.

Sandy knew about hunters. She had killed her share after all there were way too many men that thought with their dicks and that was her game. Good bout of sex and then dinner. She hadn't had to face too many women hunters especially possessive of their men ones.

Arandi was proving to be no ordinary hunter in every shape and form. Sandy grunted as Arandi's knee connected harsh and powerful into her gut.

They knew what she was so she morphed and attacked. She shoved Arandi hard into the brick wall but the hunter moved like she barely felt a thing. Stepped sideways and shoved Sandy face first into the bricks.

Sandy turned. Dean just standing there would help her and she went for him. The huntress would misstep and then Sandy would have the upper hand. So she wouldn't be eating her favorite meal. Yet.

Dean shook his head in disbelief. There was no way the monster would know going after him was the worst thing she could do. Dean brought up his leg and planted his boot in the monster's chest and kicked her away but not before ridiculously long claws tore into his jeans and he felt the burn of his skin splitting.

Sandy had just signed her death warrant. Exclamation mark, dot, dot, dot.

Dean looked at Arandi. She was standing still now watching the blood soak into his jeans. Her eyes going gun metal cold.

Sandy attacked and Arandi moved into a beauty of sweeping kick shoving Sandy into the bricks again with ease. Arandi stood on the one leg bringing the other still outstretched leg down slowly.

Sandy reached extending her claws to injure Arandi mortally. Only Arandi moved like lightening. Sandy screeched in agony and rage as she watched both her hands fall to the ground and Arandi stood with a machete in each hand. A smile that made Dean shutter.

Sandy could regenerate but she knew she wasn't going to get that chance. Arandi was on her in a breath scissoring the very sharp machetes around her neck. Arandi leaned in she didn't have to say a word. Sandy read it all in the eyes of this harbinger of death. She had touched the wrong man and her head rolled. Her body hit the ground with a clunk of resounding death.

Arandi stepped back. Dean didn't move. He barely felt the pain in his leg.

One good thing about killing a Mantia was that once it was dead and holy water was poured on it. It just smoked up and vanished.

He limped forward pulled his flask and poured. This had been their first Mantia hunt. A monster they had discovered. It lured victims with sexual promises and then like a mantis devoured its lover.

"Just remember this next time when I'm the bait." She said as she locked eyes with him.

Dean sucked in a breath. "Fuck." He muttered.

"This is turning you on? So pressing your luck, Winchester." Arandi started to saunter away.

"I would love to press something else." He sneered as he followed eyes glued to the ass he knew for a fact he could bounce quarters off of.

"Sure because I want to be your go to after someone or something else revs your engine."

"You're not serious?"

"Deadly." She said holding up one of the blood cover machetes.

"Speaking of revving engines." He squirmed where he stood.

Arandi eyed him. "This really is turning you on?"

"I hadn't really thought of it before but yeah." He shivered at the thought.

She shook her head and squinted at him as she ran the thoughts through her mind. She huffed out a breath and turned to walk again. "We better get going and find a twenty-four hour Wal-Mart."

"Fuck." Dean moaned and hurried after her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi kind of loved that Dean trusted her so implicitly with his manhood. The brand new machete gleamed in the motel room light. It was very sharp and Dean's eyes were blown with lust.

After all this time she still didn't know everything about Dean and somehow will all the cuts and pain they had in their lives she should have figured that Dean would develop a pain kink.

Never hurt to turn a negative into a positive right? Especially with the sounds she pulled from him although she didn't like Dean in any type of pain and he knew that and he didn't push it.

Just enough to get him where he needed to be before he took over and rocked both of their worlds machete free.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat up slowly. He felt like he was on fire and his injured leg was a million pin pricks of agony. "Fuck." He muttered.

Even the sheet that covered him felt too heavy and too harsh against his skin.

He tried to move but his breath caught in his chest. The fucking Mantia was getting her revenge even in death.

He looked over at Arandi who was sleeping peacefully. She was going to be so pissed.

He touched his leg and he could feel the unnatural heat streaming from it. His skin stretched taut from the swelling.

Damn Winchester luck.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	32. WHEN THE PAGE TURNS

I do not have a medical degree of any type. I write what I think will fit. I get a kick out of people who get mad when something is written by a person the way they see it. (Their story Lord forbid they have fun with it.) (Just do some research and get your facts right) Sure right after I salt and burn the bones of that pesky ghost in my garage and I exorcise a demon or two. Catch what I'm throwing?

If I sound rude. I'm sorry. I really am but life is too short to try to please everyone.

WHEN THE PAGE TURNS

"Son of a bitch." Arandi growled.

"I'm sorry." Dean breathed. His body covered in a sheen of sweat. He had tried to not wake her but apparently the Mantia scratches had gotten infected. He was burning up and his entire leg was swollen.

"I should have been cleaning these out again instead of what we were doing." Arandi said angrily.

"I distracted you. All on me."

"Stop doing that." She moved around the room getting what she needed. She tried not to shake. She fucking hated infections "You know what I have to do."

Dean nodded. He watched every move with his heart tripping in his chest because he knew what this was doing to her. He hated the fact that they had to learn to do these things because of the life they lived.

Arandi placed towels under his leg carefully. It was still painful and Dean gritted his teeth and fisted the sheets on the bed. She handed him an opened bottle of whiskey and the strongest pain pills they had presently. Dean swallowed the pills and took two longs swigs of the alcohol. He watched with fever hazed eyes as she sterilized a long sharp knife and set it into a flame on the small motel stove.

Pain pills, alcohol, frying pan to the head it was still going to hurt like a bitch.

She moved towards him. Her eyes were bright. "I have to tie you down. I can't wait for anyone to show up and help me. I can't risk you moving and I end up making it fatal."

"Do what you have to." He murmured.

Arandi tied him down. Wrists over his head and legs spread to tie him at the ankles to bed posts. Every movement was agony. She made sure to make it as impossible as she could for him to move.

She folded a wash cloth into a small bundle and put it in his mouth. Dean looked at her trying to convey that he was okay with this. All of it. He hated that she had to be the one who did it because she was going to be alone through the outcome.

She nodded and walked to get the now red hot knife.

If she didn't do it right away she was going to lose her courage. She started to cut and even with the towel Dean screamed in agony. Veins bulging as he strained against the binds. She didn't dare look at his face.

Tears streamed down her own as she watched the puss break loose and run onto the towels and she had to keep going.

Dean thrashed and screamed. She was so thankful that they were in a mostly vacant motel.

She grabbed the holy water and poured.

Dean arched up letting out an agonizing mix of a wail and choking sounds then his body went completely lax.

Arandi worked as fast as she could before he came around again. Holy water, alcohol, she poured anything and everything she could into the cuts that would clean them out and keep them that way.

Then she waited and prayed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took three days for her to know that her work had paid off. Another hunter dropped off a set of strong antibiotics after she finally was able to get a hold of Jefferson.

The swelling was gone and the cuts were beginning to heal. Dean woke in small moments. Just long enough to drink something, take meds, and to be helped to relieve himself.

The fever went up and down and she slept when she could. She thought about calling someone to stay with them but if she did that every time others would think they couldn't take care of each other.

The moment Dean started to come around back to normal, she didn't say a word of anger to him. He had talked in his fever dreams and she'd heard enough to know his deepest darkest fears and how much he loved her.

Dean waited for an outburst but when he didn't get one he counted his blessings. They caught up on all the latest blockbusters lying in bed together and talked about mundane things.

He didn't say anything when he was able to start walking without a limp and they were still in another motel not searching for the next hunt. He didn't dare push his luck more than he had already. He wasn't the only one recovering.

He noticed early on that the knife she had used was long gone and the clothes he had worn on the hunt were nowhere to be found. Neither was the machete they had bought spontaneously.

He still didn't push it and waited. He tried his best to not fidget too much or look like cabin fever was slowly drive him up the proverbial wall. Finally, one day she turned the laptop to him. "Found a hunt." She said simply and he nodded.

It was there life, his life and she couldn't ask him to quit until she gave him a reason too. No matter how close they cut it sometimes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bobby, where are you?" Dean breathed. He peaked around the side of the shack he was crouched behind. They didn't often use earpieces but on this night they needed to be able to keep in close contact with so many hunters involved.

"I'm about thirty paces behind the barn." Bobby responded. "Dean, are you ok?"

"Awesome." Dean muttered. "Dad, what's your twenty?"

"About fifty paces from the junked pick up."

"Pops?"

"In between the lesser good looking ones." Jonathan answered.

"Age before beauty." Bobby grumbled.

"Rufus?"

"I'm actually in the barn. You know trying to get this over with."

"Damn it, Rufus, if they sniff you out before the rest of us get there you're going to be shish with a side of kabob." Bobby growled.

"Then get your ancient ass moving!" Rufus hissed.

"I see one heading past the windmill." Caleb whispered. "Make that two."

"Another two going past the propane tank." Jefferson added.

"That has to mean someone is still alive in there." John said.

"Yeah, but there's a whole lot more than four." Dean replied.

"We have to start somewhere, son."

"Ok, ok. Give the signal when everyone is ten paces in."

Dean missed Arandi being there. He always somehow felt more reassured with someone that moved like lightning having his back. She hadn't been thrilled about staying behind. She wasn't thrilled about this kind of hunt either. The hunts for sick bastards like these inbred cannibals. Kidnapping people on major highways and never having been caught until Dean had meticulously pieced the pattern together.

John had actually looked proud.

Bobby had dubbed them Dregs.

From what Dean had seen there were at least thirty and thankfully he hadn't seen any children. He couldn't kill a child no matter what it was.

There were women though and Dean just had to remind himself that they were monsters and they had killed dozens of innocent people.

Five minutes later everyone was in position.

They stormed the barn shooting and slicing. There was more than four and Dean saw the opened door in the ground and he realized they had a way to move underground from the house to the barn.

Dean headed towards it taking down anyone that tried to come up. "They have a tunnel."

From the new position he saw three men and two women tied up just below. They looked up at him wide eyed and hopeful. So he dropped down afraid that the Dregs would harm the people in their haste to get away.

Soon his dad and Bobby joined him.

"The house is empty." Johnny called. "Ash and I are blocking the way in from here."

Anyone left in the tunnels would have no choice but to move towards the hunters in the barn. John began to untie the victims and they found another couple in a bit deeper.

Dean and Bobby waited.

A shuffle brought Dean's senses into high gear and he spun. A Dreg was coming at his dad where he was crouched cutting a victim free.

Dean surged forward. "Dad!" He got John out of the way just as the pick axe connected. Dean pulled the trigger three times. Then fell back against his dad. "What'd ya always telling us about letting our guard down?"

Dean's eyes rolled and his head lolled.

"Dean! Hey, kiddo, come on. Arandi, is gonna have both of our asses." John coaxed.

The place started to fill with smoke. The Dregs were trying to cover their crimes. The rest of the hunter's pulled the victims out and Johnny now in the barn helped with Dean.

He felt for a pulse and breathed in relief. He had no choice but to throw Dean into a fireman's carry and hope he didn't make things worse.

Rufus and Bobby lit up the barn.

Jonathan and Caleb were already coaching the victims on what to say. The victims more than grateful agreed to it all but didn't quite understand why these brave men that had saved their lives refused to take credit for it.

"This is all over the world." Ash explained. "We have to help as many as we can and we can't do that if they know we're coming."

The victims nodded and would do whatever asked to show their gratitude because they knew, they had seen how it would have ended. Everyone headed out except Caleb and Rufus. They hid to watch and make sure the victims were completely safe before they left.

Sure enough two Dregs attacked the police and got blown to bits for their efforts but now at least they would know what these people had endured.

Johnny drove like a mad man back to the motel where his sister waited. He was older and bigger but he had the fear of God in him at the moment. When it came to Dean, Arandi could scare the devil.

John sat with Dean's head on his lap in the back seat. If Dean hadn't jumped in the way that pick axe was going for his head.

He not only had to deal with Arandi but his own wife and crap if going back and walking into the fire wasn't tempting?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"All of you seasoned hunters and you can't keep each other safe?" Arandi growled. "What the hell dad?"

"Hey, I wasn't even in the room." Jonathan defended.

She turned blazing eyes at John and Bobby.

"Baby, I'm gonna be fine it's…" Dean slurred.

"So help me God if you say it's just a scratch!"

Dean blinked owlishly but kept his mouth shut.

"It's not just a scratch but he's going to live and have another pretty scar for you gaze upon." Jefferson grinned.

"Don't fuck with me." Arandi hissed.

"Arandi Remington Winchester!" Jonathan scolded.

Jefferson laughed. "Hey, no worries, I've been down this road before and the ever wondrous tale of the Sir Winchester and Lady Remington."

"You gonna be ok?" Johnny asked soothingly.

Arandi was now inspecting Jefferson's work. The pick axe had broken the skin of his left shoulder but it was mostly bruised. All thanks to the layers that Dean wore and the dullness of the overused axe. The handle though had connected with his head and he had a nice goose egg.

"We'll be fine and what the hell are you doing hunting when you have a baby at home?"

Johnny sighed. "One of the victims was a niece of the general's."

"Was she alive?"

"Yeah, thankfully."

"So he knows what you do now?"

"I broke it to him when we had a bit of a werewolf problem in one of the boot camps and strangely he didn't seem so surprised."

"If I tell anyone I get pointed in the direction of a padded cell." Ash grumbled.

"It's the hair, bro." Caleb snickered.

"Jealous?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary sat quietly staring out the window of the truck as they headed home.

The hunt done they had all headed back to their homes.

She had wanted to stay and mother Dean but she knew Arandi had taken that roll on the second they left home.

Dean got hurt probably more often than one person should but he didn't come running to mommy anymore, hardly even did that when he was a kid. He had always been tougher than most.

"He saved me back there." John said softly from the driver's seat. "He didn't even hesitate."

"Did you want him to hesitate?"

John huffed. "You know what I mean."

"You say you care your way and Dean says it his." Mary sighed. "Unfortunately Dean's way usually involves blood and unconsciousness."

"I just kind of froze for a second and suddenly I was back on that day that he and Sam fell out of the tree and Sam thought he had killed Dean. I ran out and saw Dean so still and I froze then too. Thinking my son was dead."

Mary turned to look at her husband. John never ever shared his feelings so willingly. She usually had to pry them out of him with a little aid from Johnnie, Jack, or Jim. "What are you getting at?"

"It will be steaks and light beer hell side before either of my boys dies before me." John said in an adamant growl.

For once Mary was speechless.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean moaned softly in his sleep. He winced as he moved his head restlessly on the pillow. Arandi had given up on sleep when she felt him a little too warm. She would live in constant fear of infections.

He began to thrash harder. "It's not him…it's not him…"

Arandi grabbed a cool wash cloth and cleaned down Dean's face and chest.

He suddenly grabbed her wrist hard enough to make her cry out. He sat up his eyes open and Arandi stared afraid to move.

His eyes practically glowed. The most beautiful green Arandi had ever seen but the whites of his eyes were gone or so it seemed in the lighting of the room.

"It's not him." He said again but Arandi swore she could hear a second voice layered over Dean's own. "It's not him coming for me…Sammy, Sammy?" Dean's back arched. His grip on Arandi tightening more.

The lights and mirrors shattered into a million shards but arched out and fell before harming them.

Dean fell back and was still.

Arandi stood up and massaged the feeling back into her wrist. She stared at Dean now sleeping soundly.

She slowly walked over to him and with a trembling hand she opened one eye. Nothing was there but usual green.

She stepped back. Looked at all the damage. A knot in her stomach.

What was coming for him if it wasn't Azazel?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi loaded a still groggy Dean into the Impala. Left a nice chunk of cash in the night box with the key and hauled ass out of there. It was more than enough to cover the damage and keep someone from talking.

Dean slept the entire two hours that Arandi drove them to another state and got him into another bed. He wasn't feverish now and she wondered if he was going to remember anything.

God she hoped he didn't do it again because they were going to be broke fast at this rate.

She gave a bit of a hysterical laugh. That was her worry? Not the fact that her husband had gone semi nuclear in his sleep.

It had been Dean. She knew that without a doubt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was sore but feeling better. It took him a few minutes to realize they weren't in the room where they had started out.

Arandi was at the table on her laptop, breakfast waiting for him.

"Take a shower and I'll warm this up for you." She said. "Your things are already in there."

"You spoil me." He yawned. He got up off the bed and moved to kiss her on the cheek before he headed to the bathroom. "Why did we change motels?

He didn't miss Arandi moving her left hand under the table as if she was hiding something. "Didn't like the view."

He raised an eyebrow and moved to that side of the table taking her elbow and lifting her arm.

Her wrist was swollen and completely bruised. "Who did this to you?" He asked angrily. If she got hurt because he was unconscious…he just couldn't…

She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Arandi!"

She flinched. "You did." She whispered.

Dean let her go as if she had burned him. He stepped back confused. "Why would I?"

"It was you but not…..." She told him everything. Dean stared at his hands confused. He didn't remember a thing.

"What if I had hurt you worse than that?" He said wide eyed. He sat on the edge of the bed.

"You didn't and you won't."

"How do you know?" He yelled and stood up.

She flinched again but she met his eyes. "I can take care of myself. It caught me off guard but if it happens again. I will be prepared."

He stepped up to her cupping her face, kissing her. "You promise me. If I ever try to hurt you in any way you'll stop me no matter what."

She nodded.

"I need to hear it."

"I promise." She prayed that it was one promise she would never have to keep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean didn't sleep for nearly five days. He pretended to go to bed but as soon as Arandi was out he would get up quietly and research on the laptop.

Hunting for hunts. Trying to figure out if he was going to be a danger to her or anyone else.

At least he hadn't had yellow eyes this time around. That still didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

He sat on the hood of the Impala on the fifth night. Exhaustion tugging at him from every direction. "What do you want with me?" He whispered to the night sky.

A warmth filled him that made him sigh. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the windshield. "Just for a minute." He murmured.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean startled awake and had his gun in his hand before he even realized that he had moved. He was on a bed and what the….

A loud bang came from outside and he moved to the window to look out. Someone's car was backfiring. He relaxed until he realized that Arandi was nowhere to be seen and the bathroom door was open.

He looked at the time. It was after one in the afternoon. He hurried to get his phone, another glance outside showed the Impala parked in front of the door.

He dialed.

"Hey, baby." Arandi answered.

Dean breathed in relief.

"I knew you were going to wake up hungry so I just ran next door to the diner to get us some food."

"Great." He replied as his stomach growled.

"Dean, you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just I woke up and you weren't here."

"I knew you would wake up the second I was gone." She chuckled. "You should be well rested after thirty-six hours."

Dean blinked. "What?"

"I woke up at eight yesterday and you were sleeping so relaxed so I let you be. Took your pulse and temp after lunch because you hadn't so much as shifted. Checked the browser history of the laptop and a little digging showed me you hadn't been sleeping. Knowing you weren't suddenly vying for the seat of the hottest sleeping beauty ever I let you rest."

"I guess exhaustion caught up with me."

"I would say that exhaustion romanced you and won. So I will see you in like fifteen minutes."

"Hottest sleeping beauty ever, huh?" Dean smirked even though she couldn't see him.

"I knew it would go to your head."

"Yeah but did you know which head?"

"See you in five."

Dean smiled and bit his lip. Lunch and dessert. His favorite. Then they would eat too. He chuckled to himself at his wit. He rushed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. All the clean was going to be undone after they got dirty but that didn't mean she needed to get a sniff of his thirty-six hour in bed ripeness.

He didn't remember anything but sitting on the Impala. He hadn't even been drinking. How did he get to bed? He never slept longer than six hours unless he was recovering from illness or injury. What the hell was going on?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie startled awake when her phone sounded. A look at the time told her it was just past two in the morning and she was glad she was off the next day.

She picked up her phone silencing it as she checked the caller ID. She sat straight up.

Dean Winchester was calling.

"Dean?"

"Hey, Mags."

She heard the pain in his voice even though he was trying to cover it.

"Tell me what's wrong. Where are you?" She said moving off the bed as she gave Rob a shake.

They had found a house and moved in together after dating for months. He was only a paramedic so sue her. He loved her quirkiness and the stuff that usually sent others running.

The first time a hunter showed up bloody at their door Maggie had thought that was it. Rob hadn't even flinched. Maggie told him her story and he told her that he had had a run in with a hunter when he was a kid. Saved from an ogre or troll. He wasn't really sure.

They truly were meant to be. Maybe it didn't ping on every soulmate radar in the universe like Dean and Arandi but as long as he looked at her like she was his queen she would be just fine.

He had always wanted to find a way to say thank you for being saved. Now he could.

Rob sat up on the bed. "What is it, babe? Hunter?"

She motioned to the phone and nodded. "Dean?"

"Um yeah, just open your door in about two minutes."

Rob was up moving towards the front door. The first sound he threw it open as Maggie tossed holy water. Dean only blinked as the water ran down his face.

"Good girl." He breathed his arms full of an unconscious and bloody Arandi.

"Oh God, bring her in." Maggie gasped and led him to their guest room. "What happened?"

"Just found out the hard way that vamps can turn werewolves and vice versa. Makes them extra nasty on the full moon." He laid Arandi gently on the bed.

Maggie checked her over. Rob came in with the medical bag.

Dean stepped back to give them room.

Maggie could see him swaying and blinking hard. Favoring his right side. "You're hurt." She stated.

"Take care of her." He mumbled and eased himself back against the wall with a loud groan and tight panted breaths.

"I can take care of her while Rob checks you."

"Arandi…. please." He pointed at her as if it might slip their mind which one she was.

"She needs you." Rob said soothingly as he moved towards Dean.

Dean stared at Arandi. Slowly he slid down the wall as his eyes rolled and his head lolled.

"Dean does that." Maggie sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie shouldn't have been surprised to find her patients sitting on the sofa dressed and looking like they were ready to go for the next round, the next day close to noon.

Most people being even in half the condition they had been would have been kept in the hospital for days.

Dean sat back relaxed his long legs splayed open one arm on the arm rest the other around Arandi who sat curled up beside him head on his chest.

Arandi was going to be fine so that's all it took to make him fine too.

"I know I said that I would do this for hunters for you saving my life but I expect payment this time." Maggie huffed.

She got two stares asking the unspoken question.

"I expect you to stay your ass put for forty-eight hours. Deal?"

"Seems cheap to me." Dean rasped.

"I think we can afford it." Arandi replied.

Maggie really expected more of a fight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Boxes of pizza lined the bar. The four of them around the coffee table playing poker.

Dean thrilled that Rob could actually play. Stacks of quarters everywhere.

Maggie felt like the amateur in room fool of pros but she was having fun anyway.

Dean and Arandi were as beautiful as ever. A little older, a little wiser, still so in love it sizzled in the air.

The way that they exchanged chaste kisses, the touches that seemed unconsciously done, the tender looks when the other wasn't looking.

Even with Rob at her side Maggie still felt a tinge of jealousy. She came around mid-conversation between Dean and Rob.

"Cold spots, flickering lights the whole nine." Rob was saying.

Dean looked at Arandi. "Sounds like a plain old spirit."

"How is anything supernatural plain?" Maggie asked.

"Some things are plain compared to others." Arandi chuckled. "You should know."

Maggie shuddered remembering her experience.

"We can check it out if you want." Dean went on.

"Can I tag along?" Rob asked in a hopeful tone.

"Can we tag along?" Maggie corrected.

Another exchange of looks.

"Since it is your sister but you have to listen to everything we say and you have to be prepared to see some pretty messed up shit." Dean explained.

"When?" Maggie asked.

"Forty-eight hours, we promised." He smirked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Charles Cahill killed his wife Kayla and then was killed by his brother in law in the house." Arandi said of the quick research she had done on Amanda's house.

"Two angry spirits then?" Dean asked as he loaded the last shotgun with rock salt.

"Looks like."

"Salt and burn?"

"Both cremated."

Maggie and Rob felt like they were watching a tennis match.

"Haunted objects? So Rob think you can talk your sister into going out?"

"She's already out. I paid for her and family to eat out then see a movie."

"Learning fast. I'm so proud." Dean snickered and handed Rob a shotgun. "It doesn't kill them but it slows them down. Let's do this."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean lay on the floor gasping as the spirit of Charles Cahill reached into him. It was the most painful mix of freezing coldness and scorching heat.

His ribs and back still tender as hell from the last hunt, he sucked in air when the blast came and Charles vanished. Rob stood at the doorway with the smoking shotgun.

Charles reappeared behind Rob.

"Duck!" Dean yelled and Rob hit the floor. Another blast.

From somewhere else a thud and another blast. Arandi cursing.

"Fuck." Dean muttered getting to his feet. He looked around the attic room for any sign of something that had been missed. His trained eyes zoning in on the slightly mismatched wooden planks that lined the wall.

Dean kicked in the spot to reveal another room. A photo album full of pictures and locks of hair sat on a small table.

"Dean, hurry!" Arandi screamed, followed by another blast.

There was no time to pick and choose. The whole book had to go. He grabbed it and ran for the bathroom throwing the book in the tub. He doused it with lighter fluid and just as he lit the matches. He was being pinned to the wall, his feet off the floor.

The shotgun crashed to floor.

Dean kicked and struggled.

His vision full of black spots. He heard a whoosh and he hit the floor. Rob stood by the fire looking proud of himself. In a whirl of sparks, Charles and Kayla Cahill were gone.

Dean gave Rob two thumbs up and then followed the dark spots.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She would never do it for a living in a million years but Maggie got it now. The thrill of the hunt, saving lives in a whole other light.

Dean unconscious again she could do without.

Seeing Arandi in action had her once again wondering about her sexuality.

Rob was on a high even though he had been scared out his wits. He stood tall and proud when he told his sister that she and her family no longer had anything to worry about.

She had looked skeptical but in a week she would be thrilled.

They left back to the Maggie and Rob's. Rob driving the Impala while Dean tried to get everything around him to stop spinning.

"Do you have an invisible 'kick me' sign on you?" Maggie huffed.

"That's actually a very good question." Dean slurred slightly. "You put a scratch on her and you'll be full of rock salt." He warned Rob.

Back at the house everyone cleaned up and had some leftover pizza. Arandi sat on Dean's lap holding the ice pack on his head while he sulked.

Vertigo was a bitch and she apparently had a major crush on him. She was probably thinking of proposing.

Rob was disappointed and Maggie wasn't surprised to find them gone the next day. The only goodbye a thank you note and very clean guest room, bathroom, and kitchen.

"They kill monsters and they do windows." Maggie shook her head and had little doubt this time that somewhere down the road they would cross paths again.

Rob was like a kid at Christmas when he found the two shotguns with a supply of salt rounds sitting on the bar.

Maggie smiled. Life was never dull when you knew the Winchesters.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	33. WAYWARD FATHERS

WAYWARD FATHERS

It was a total coincidence, no really it was…. sort of…...that Dean and Arandi found a hunt in California a couple of days before Sam and Jade's birthday.

It would be very rude not to stop by when in the neighborhood or within two hundred miles ok five hundred but who was counting.

Sam and Jade were thrilled to see their older siblings. Their parents had swung by weeks before.

"My sister and I are going shopping. Don't wait up." Arandi grinned.

"New shoes here I come." Jade snickered.

Dean grabbed Arandi's arm and pulled her into a kiss. "I love you. You better be careful."

"I love you too. Remember that when the card gets denied at our next stop."

Sam watched them go with a shake of his head. "She has a million and one pairs of shoes. Even if she lived to be a thousand she will never wear them all."

"Dude, never get between a woman and her shoes. It's the equivalent of us and our guns."

"Guns are useful."

"You haven't seen Arandi take out a vamp with a stiletto." Dean shivered at the memory.

"They're gonna be awhile so what should we do?"

Dean grinned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam laughed hard. He flapped his newly won seven hundred dollars in his hand. "Dude, I forgot how easy it is to hustle pool."

Dean stuffed his winnings into his pocket. "Like taking candy from a drunk baby."

"Hey, you!" A tall older man yelled from the door of the bar followed by about five others.

Dean and Sam grinned at one another. "Birthday bar fight." They said at the same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're going to have a black eye." Jade huffed. She handed Sam an ice pack.

"You should see the other three."

Dean chuckled beside him. "Dude, just because you saw three…"

"It felt like three."

Some of Sam and Jade's friends were arriving for a get together. Lots of food and alcohol. Dean was humming away on a large slice of ice cream cake that he had snagged.

Sam smiled as his phone rang. He sat up slowly and reached into his pocket. Mary was calling. "Hey, mom. Yeah, thank you. Dean? Yeah, he's right here. Hold on." He passed the phone to Dean with a shrug.

"Hey, mom." Dean listened intently and realized he had left his phone in the car. "How long?" He furrowed his brow and got up. "Any ideas? Right here in California? Ok mom, we'll start here. We'll be in touch."

Dean handed Sam back his phone. Surrounded by strangers he looked at his brother and stated it the only way he could. "Dad's on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a while."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As it turned out it was both their fathers that were behind schedule getting home from a hunt they had gone to California for with a couple of other hunters that had asked for help.

The other hunters had told Mary and Beth that they had parted ways once the hunt was done and that John and Jonathan were fine when they left them at the motel room in Jericho.

"So Arandi and I will go check it out and let you know." Dean said as he headed for the door.

"No, wait we're coming with you." Sam said.

Dean couldn't have been more thrilled to have his little brother along. Arandi didn't mind either. She just hoped they had kept up their training.

The people that had been at the duplex to party had begun to leave once they got the gist that there was a family emergency going on and decided to move the party to park. Why let everything go to the waste? It wasn't like anyone had died.

"We seriously need to evaluate the people we call friends." Sam said to Jade shaking his head.

"Hey, they left presents so it's all good in my book."

They all honesty thought it was going to be over and done within a couple of days at most. Being Winchesters and their not so great relationship with luck notwithstanding.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't hard to find the motel room where the men had been staying. Alarms started to go off when they got into the room to discover that all of their dad's things were still there.

There were a couple of guns and knives missing and John's journal but all their other things still there.

The man at the front desk told Dean that they were paid through for four more days and that he hadn't seen either man since two days before.

"If the hunt was done why would they pay for extra days?" Jade asked as she slowly made a spin of the room.

Their dad had a tendency to pin all the information that they found on a case on the walls of the rooms where they stayed. They said it helped them think better.

"Didn't mom say that the hunt they were on was a ghoul nest?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"This is all stuff about a woman in white." Jade pointed out.

"So they got wind of another case and decided to check it out." Sam suggested.

"Maybe but dad wouldn't do that without telling mom." Dean replied.

"Our dad either." Arandi sighed. "Wish they would get with the program and get at least a freaking tablet between the two of them."

"And miss out on being at the library for hours?" Dean scoffed.

"What do we do, bro?"

"Um guys, there is a couple of five o's coming this way." Jade said as she peered out the window.

"Hustle out the bathroom." Dean ordered.

Arandi, Sam, and Jade made it out but the door was opening before Dean could. "Maybe I can find something out from the police." Dean whispered to them and closed the window.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat in the hard interrogation chair tapping his leg angrily. Apparently the wonderful police force was trying to pin the recent deaths of young men on Dean now since they had found him in a room full of information on the men that had died.

"Ace police work, you all deserve promotions."

"Look, boy, you are in a world of shit. So if you come clean with us you might just catch a break." The sheriff said sternly.

"Yeah, because I started killing at the age of four."

"You have an older partner maybe two."

"Now all you're doing is reaching and with those stubby arms…."

The man turned around and plopped a book in front of Dean.

Dean did his best not to look panicked. It was his dad's journal. How in the hell had the police gotten their hands on it?

"This is a journal of madman. Writing about all this nonsense that he probably created, deaths he probably had a hand in."

Dean rolled his eyes. He wanted to rant on how many lives his dad had probably saved but he was supposed to be playing the innocence card. "I bet you think Frankenstein is real too."

"Are you Dean?" The sheriff asked out of the blue.

Dean looked up at him and watched as the sheriff flipped through the pages of the journal and stopped on a page that just had Dean's name and some numbers.

"I told you my name."

The sheriff opened his mouth to say something and suddenly there was all kinds of commotion in the hallway.

The sheriff stood up and handcuffed Dean to the chair and walked out.

Dean looked around in a rush, knew that the distraction was from Sam or Arandi and he had precious seconds to book it.

His eyes fell on the journal and the paper clip that held a newspaper article in place.

Yeah, ace police work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean ran down the alley, the journal tucked into his jacket. He doubted that the cracker jack police team had bothered making copies or photographing the contents.

He hadn't been able to retrieve his phone so he had no way to get a hold of anyone. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the roar of his Impala just around the corner and he ran for it.

Sam sat waiting for him a huge grin on his face. He floored it as soon as Dean was in the car.

"Where are Arandi and Jade?"

"They provided the distraction and are going to meet us at a motel outside of town."

"We won't be able to stay here."

"Figured but you are going to want to solve this woman in white thing before we head out. Arandi did some research and found out that this woman Constance something or other found out her husband had cheated on her, she was so distraught she drowned her two children in a tub and when she realized what she had done she jumped off a bridge to her death. We need to figure out where to find her."

Dean's eyes widened as they came around a curve. "Dude, I don't think that's going to be a problem."

A women dressed in white stood in the middle of the road. Sam slammed on the brakes sliding right through her and her form vanished like smoky white tendrils.

Dean and Sam stared at each other wide eyed unsure what to do.

"Take me home." A voice said from the back seat and they both turned to look. The beautiful woman now sat there and before either of them could respond or make a move the Impala revved up and started to move without Sam doing anything but sitting there.

"Listen lady, it's not nice to possess a man's pride and joy." Dean groaned.

The car went faster. It wasn't long before the Impala came to a stop in front of an old dilapidated house.

"I can never go home." The woman said and blinked out of sight.

Dean and Sam breathed for a moment in relief. Dean was about to get out of the car and grab a shotgun from the trunk but he gasped and fell back against the seat as searing pain tore through his chest.

He heard Sam gasp too and he managed to turn his head and see that Sam was in the same predicament.

The woman appeared between them her face now horribly grotesque and one hand immersed into each Winchester.

"We haven't cheated." Sam gritted in pain.

"You will." The woman said.

"Not with you, bitch." Arandi suddenly appeared on the driver's side and blasted the woman with a shotgun.

The woman vanished for a moment. Sam stumbled out the car falling to his knees trying to breathe. The woman reappeared straddling Dean's lap and reached inside of him.

Dean reached desperately for the door.

"Oh you're so going to fry you whore." Arandi growled and jumped in the car. She threw it in gear and floored it. They crashed through the front of the house not stopping until the entire Impala was inside.

Dean sucked in air as the woman vanished again. He looked at Arandi.

"Dean, Arandi!" Sam was yelling as he ran in the house.

"We're ok." Arandi said as she jumped out the car and slid across the hood. Shotgun ready to blast the apparition away.

The woman appeared too fast grabbed the shotgun and tossed it across the room and tossed Arandi against a wall. A dresser came at her a second later pinning her in place.

Dean scrambled out of the car and the woman appeared in front of him. "Son of a bitch." He cursed and waited for the pain. Sam hopefully was running for the shotgun.

The sound of running water was suddenly loud and the woman turned around. She looked towards the stairs a little boy and girl blinked into sight holding hands.

The woman stared at them with fear. Suddenly they were in front of her. "We missed you, mommy." They said eerily and hugged her.

The woman in white began to scream horribly and like wax melted into the floor along with the children.

Dean and Sam stood mouth agape.

"A little help here." Arandi called out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

If his chest hadn't been feeling like a building had landed on it, he would have checked the entire Impala from one end to the other for damage. He wasn't mad, Arandi had saved their asses but he just wanted to know what he would have to fix once he was up to it.

"She doesn't have a scratch on her." Arandi huffed as she drove them to pick up Jade, who was probably going to be mad that she had missed out on the action.

"How can you be sure?" Dean pouted.

"She's tougher than you are."

Dean looked at Arandi through squinty eyes. "How did you know where to be and how did you get there?"

"I had gotten the address while doing research. I was looking over the reports and noticed all the deaths had been on the same stretch of road and then I realized that you and Sam would have to take that road to get to where Jade and I were waiting. I hotwired a car because the way our luck runs trouble was inevitable."

"I love the way your mind works."

"Me too." Sam said from the back seat.

"She's only supposed to go after men that cheat." Arandi eyed Dean accusingly.

Dean dropped his head back onto the seat. "Please don't do this."

Arandi smiled. "I'll forget about that if you forget about me using the Impala as a battering ram."

Sam snickered. "I'll write a draft."

Dean snickered back. "What do you think Jade's gonna think?"

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

They left town to go a few towns over before they stopped for the night.

Arandi checked them in and wanted to laugh at how Jade was giving a pained Sam the cold shoulder.

They disappeared into their room and Arandi led a grumpy Dean to their own room.

"You want me to get you some ice?" She asked.

"After I see if you're hurt." He replied.

Arandi turned to argue the point but Dean was having none of it.

"That Constance bitch threw you into a wall and clobbered you with a dresser."

"And you got soul searched." Arandi pointed out.

Dean's penetrating green eyes didn't even blink.

Arandi huffed. "Fine." She kicked off her shoes and began peeling off her clothes until she was completely naked. "Just making it easier for you."

Dean held a hand to his chest and without a word began to check Arandi. In their lives it was a little too much normal.

Once he was satisfied that she wasn't going to bleed out or was hiding worse injuries, he sighed and sat on the bed.

Arandi pulled on a long t-shirt. She knew Dean was hurting if he didn't take advantage of her nakedness. She slipped on some shorts and headed to get ice in the zip lock bags they tended to carry for just such purposes.

Dean was lying down shirtless by the time she came back and she figured he had waited for her to leave to pull off his shirts so that she wouldn't see all the pained faces and hear the pained groans. Because his breathing like he had just ran a couple of miles didn't give it away.

She winced when she saw the bruising across his chest. She gently lay the bags where they were needed. "You need some pain meds?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Dean…..."

"The cops had my dad's journal. He never goes anywhere without that thing."

"We'll find them, Dean. Our dads have survived a lot for them to be doing this it must be something huge."

"Yellow eyed demon huge?"

"I can't think of anything else that would keep them out of contact with everyone."

Dean could and it wasn't anything he wanted to share.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean groaned loud when the banging of the motel room door dragged him out of a deep sleep.

"I'll get it." Arandi said as she yawned.

She barely opened the door before Sam barged in and headed straight for Dean. The strain on his face made Dean sit up in a flash. His heart beating like crazy thinking Sam had gotten bad news about their dad.

"There was a fire in our duplex." Sam began. "I just got the call."

"Sam, I'm sorry."

"There was bodies discovered. Jade thinks that it was our friend Jackie and Kurt, they knew where the spare key was and if they got wasted at the party, they would crash there." Sam was trying hard to speak calmly.

"Twenty minutes, bro and we'll hit the road."

Sam nodded numbly and went back to Jade.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The drive back to Palo Alto had been quiet. Another call had verified that it was their friends that had died in their home and everything had been destroyed.

The only things they had left were all the clothes they had packed and their laptops. All their text books would have to be replaced and Sam felt like smacking himself for worrying about things that could be replaced when two people that couldn't be replaced were dead.

There were police waiting to question them. Jade was crying as she saw their home destroyed and the connecting place damaged.

Sam stood rock still as he was told that it hadn't been an accident. Arson had been in play.

Sam looked at Dean. Had two people died because the arsonist had mistaken the dead for Sam and Jade? That meant they were in danger. Then right on the tale of their father's disappearances it was too much of a coincidence.

While Sam answered the questions, Dean snuck around to the back. He was feeling the bad vibes too.

Sam saw him coming back stone faced.

The questions done since they had solid alibis. Sam turned to his brother. "What?"

"Sulfur."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Were they trying to kill us and Jackie and Kurt were in wrong place, wrong time situation?" Jade sniffled.

"I don't know." Sam growled but I do know that we don't have any classes for a while so if you're up to it we'll hit the road with Dean and Arandi, right after the memorials, find our dads and maybe get to the bottom of this."

Jade nodded. "Yeah, I think I would feel better being with some family."

Sam tossed his shotgun into the open trunk of the Impala where Dean was watching him intently. "We've got work to do."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	34. ROAD TRIP

Once again I do not have a medical degree. Yep, medical issues ensue.

ROAD TRIP

None of the young hunters were thrilled with the numbers that John had written in red and circled along with Dean's name.

Their dads were MIA but they could leave coordinates for a hunt in a journal that had ended up in police custody but they couldn't take the time to call home?

Sam was getting frustrated very fast. Especially when Dean got a call from their dad's phone but all they heard was their dad say Dean's name some jumble of words and nothing but static.

When they tried to GPS the phone it didn't pop.

"Well at least he's alive." Jade said. "So dad has to be too."

No one dared argue any logic against that.

Dean got ready to go find the apparent hunt and Sam came unglued.

"We're supposed to be looking for dad, not hunting."

"We're supposed to save lives, Sam, and if I run into a hunt while I'm searching for our dads I'm going to kill as many evil sons of bitches as I can along the way."

Sam knew that Dean was right but he couldn't help but feel that their dad held some answers to this demon thing that he needed to know.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The coordinates led to Haley Collins and her younger brother, Ben, who's older brother, Tommy, had gone missing in the woods in Blackwater Ridge. Sam grumbled nearly the entire time about how they were wasting time. Until Jade got in his face.

"Then you tell them you're too busy throwing a hissy fit to help them because you know as well as I do that we'd be sitting on our asses right now researching and letting someone die."

Sam felt instantly ashamed. She was right. Dean was right but he just needed answers which were going to wait while they saved lives. He was out numbered.

Haley was a spitfire so she and Arandi got along divinely. That was until Haley kissed Dean for saving her brother and well her family. Dean hadn't done it by himself although he had gotten taken along with Haley by a Wendigo and Arandi, Sam, Jade, and Ben had to hunt them down by following a trail of M&Ms that Dean had smartly left behind.

Dean had instantly pulled away from Haley and blushed deep. He hadn't kissed back not one iota but Arandi glared daggers at him anyway. Jade had grabbed her sister pretty sure she had just saved Haley's life again.

The Wendigo had been fried to a crisp by Dean even after he had been tossed around like a rag doll and dragged through the woods. The Wendigo although it had planned on making Haley dinner had still tossed her over its shoulder with a tad bit more tenderness than it had showed Dean.

Dean could only take the stony silence so long. He loved Arandi's possessiveness and yeah Haley had overstepped. She could have shaken his hand, all of their hands because as Sam had so brotherly pointed out Dean hadn't finished the hunt alone. All of their asses had been on the line.

He would get it if he had initiated the kiss or kissed back but he was sort of hurting and trying to make sure they all got the story straight about the giant grizzly and then he heard the thank you and when he turned to say it was their job and add some spiel there were lips on his and gun metal eyes of to the side that could make grown men cry, raking him over an open flame.

What was it with women just kissing him? It wasn't like he didn't make it resoundingly clear that he was married and happily so. He wouldn't flip out if some guy kissed Arandi as a thank you for saving his life. Ok so he would flip out because why would she let him kiss her? And there went the proverbial light bulb with a flash bang.

It made his head hurt, pretty much breaking even with all the other aches and pains in his body that were getting a tad bit past the point of tolerable.

He knew he needed to stop driving when there was more than one center line and a loud ringing in his ears.

He pulled over at the first motel he could find because he needed to talk to Arandi and get the really putrid stench of barbequed Wendigo off of himself. They all needed a hot shower, good food and a bed to crawl into and hibernate like the imaginary bear.

Sam and Jade were off before Dean could even get a word out. Traitors. He turned to Arandi but she was already out of the car to head to the office and get their room. Although Dean wouldn't have been too shocked if she had come back with keys to two different rooms or just one for her and let him fend for himself.

Oh he was getting a shower if he had to kick in Sam and Jade's door or an empty room. Extra crispy Wendigo was a smell that rivaled many stenches.

He watched Arandi come out of the office and headed down the sidewalk. He took a deep breath and followed in the Impala until she was nearly at the end of the row of rooms and she started to unlock a door.

Dean parked and slowly unfolded himself from the car. He winced and stayed a bit hunched. Vertigo probably trying to romance him again. The Wendigo had bruised him up a bit more than he thought. Well more than he would admit out loud.

He watched Arandi come back out of the room and head to the trunk. She gave him one look that pretty much spelled out 'open the fucking trunk now." He huffed and walked to the trunk and unlocked it. Proud of himself for getting the key in the hole on the first shot.

She had her things in one go and was in the room in a couple of strides. She slammed the door for good measure.

Dean winced and leaned against the car. He didn't want to walk all the way to the door carrying his things just to find out it was locked to him. Yeah, he felt that bad.

Love sucked sometimes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was angry, way angrier than she needed to be. Dean hadn't done anything wrong really. He had not reacted to Haley's kiss like a lust driven sex fiend. He had pretty much made it clear he was off limits with just a look.

Haley had smiled at him. Not humiliated but like she was thinking that if she had more time she could change his mind. What the literal fuck? Arandi had been nice to her helped her through some high strung fears when she thought her brother might be dead and Haley repaid her by kissing her husband. Why hadn't she kissed Sam?

She hoped Haley knew that Jade had saved her pretty teeth.

Arandi growled and chunked her boots across the room aggressively. She hated being jealous but she was. She hated feeling that tiny claw of doubt raking over her heart that Dean would stray given a good enough reason to do so. Maybe by a woman that didn't act the way Arandi was at the moment.

She shouldn't be acting like she was. She should be making sure that Dean was ok because he had been unconscious when they found him and Haley in the caves. She had noticed the intense blinks right before they had pulled over. The winces that were supposed to be hidden when he looked out the window.

She heard Dean outside the door. The wary test of the knob. She hadn't locked him out. She wasn't that far gone. Not this trip anyway. She waited for him to walk in either angrier than her or just plain quiet. She waited and nothing.

Which meant he was deciding on whether to bother with her at all or just sleep in the car or go get his own room or…she heard the pained groan and all the anger and stupidity of her being so insanely immature when it came to her jealousy drained away and she moved to the door fast and threw it open.

Dean was leaning heavily against the frame, his eyes bleary. He was red faced. One arm tight around his abdomen. He was going to fall over any second and Arandi was close to tears. She needed to grow the fuck up already. Dean loved her, only her.

"Arandi…" He said tiredly. His voice rough from the smoke he had breathed in.

She got close to him and pulled him from the door gently. "Shhh, let's get you cleaned up and in bed." Dean looked at her as if she had grown an extra head and had flicked out a forked tongue from each one. "I'm over it ok? I argued with myself and I won so you're good."

Dean gave a slight chuckle and stumbled as she pulled him toward the bathroom. She helped him sit on the bathroom lid so she could grab his things and lock up.

Dean had just sat and waited. He looked up at her with a weak smile. "Don't think I can get my boots off alone."

Arandi stared at him for a moment but didn't hesitate and started to get him undressed. "Dean." She whispered when the bottom shirt came off and his stomach and chest were a map of different color bruises.

"Dinner and a show but he wasn't much of a gentleman."

She felt even worse now. She didn't know what to do.

"Don't, Arandi." He breathed and caressed her face.

"Why do you put up with me?"

"The same reason you put up with me." He replied.

They just sat quietly for a moment. Until Dean let out another pained groan.

"Ok, enough wasted time. I need to get you cleaned up and in bed."

"I think you better get Sam."

Arandi looked at him suddenly scared shitless. Dean would walk on two broken legs before asking for help from anyone let alone Sam.

"No, baby, nothing that serious just I won't be able to stand long and I don't want to fall on you in a slippery shower and get us both killed ok?"

Arandi looked at him unsure. "Ok." He was doing it for her and she should be grateful but it scared her that he wasn't pressing on trying to do everything on his own like always.

He had a point though. It would be something if after everything they had been through. They broke their necks in a shower and not even while having sex.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam practically kicked in the door when Arandi had called him and told him that Dean needed his help.

Sam had gone from calm thinking Dean needed help with research to complete panic when Arandi had said Dean was unable to shower by himself and he didn't want to risk getting them both hurt. He had been rushing to their room before Arandi had even finished the sentence and thankfully she opened the door at the right moment.

Sam rushed past her and was on his knees beside his hunched brother. The very brother that could lose a limb and say it was just a scratch and besides he had another one. "Dean? How bad is it? Do we need a hospital?" His brother had asked for help. It was terrifying. That usually meant severe blood loss or worse.

Dean lifted his eyes to his brother and licked his lips slowly. "I'm not dying, Sammy. Just need a shower in the worst of ways. I can't sit in that stall and Arandi doesn't need me falling on her." Dean speak for 'I can't stand on my own.'

Sam breathed a bit in relief. Dean was tired. Exhausted to the bone barely keeping his eyes open but he was talking fine although his voice was scratchier than usual, he seemed ok. He was admitting to being that exhausted and worried about Arandi. Totally normal, put Arandi first but something was still missing.

"Sammy, you alright?"

And there it was.

"I'm not the one that got asked to the fireside by the Wendigo."

"Aggressive bastard." Dean huffed and winced.

Sam chuckled and waited not sure where to start.

"You should go shower in Sam's room." Dean said to Arandi. "That way when I get done we can just go to bed."

"Sounds good, love." Arandi flicked her eyes to Sam.

Dean had left out food which meant he was still covering something even after all the openness. Arandi didn't argue she grabbed her things and left. She trusted Sam to take care of her husband.

"Dean?" Sam asked again. Adding the 'let's cut to the quick' tone.

"Sammy, I dislocated a rib." Dean admitted. "Arandi can't deal with that crap. Not this soon."

Sam got the gist. Arandi had had to tend to a hurt Dean not too long ago. The ache of what things Dean and Arandi endured while he was tucked away at college with Jade sifted through his guilt meter. "Why didn't you say something to the paramedics? You need a hospital."

"It's an easy fix, Sammy."

"A very painful fix."

"Pain. The true mistress that Arandi should be jealous of." Dean snickered.

"How in the hell were you able to drive?" Sam guiltily changed the subject.

Dean rolled his eyes. "It happened outside ok? I was getting my things from the trunk and I got dizzy. Arandi would blame herself for leaving me out there alone. So you gonna help me or you gonna spaz?"

Sam looked at Dean's abdomen and it was then he realized two things. His brother was covered in bruises and he was naked.

"Really, Dean?"

"Dude, we used to take baths together."

"I was two."

"We skinny dipped."

"I didn't have to touch you then."

"Does Jade know she's married to a princess?"

"Fuck you, Dean."

Dean quirked an eyebrow.

"Dean!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The awkwardness of helping his naked brother shower was soon pushed aside by the realization that Dean was beginning to wheeze. Sam had to get the rib back in place before things got more complicated.

"Shower first, bro." Dean breathed and winced hard.

Sam could feel the small tremors moving through Dean's body which meant he was in pain.

"We got to hurry this up."

Sam nodded and stood up. He helped Dean stand and Sam averted his eyes.

"Really, Sam?" Dean huffed as he tried to breathe right.

"How do you want to do this?"

"I need to get this smell off and then I'll dry up and you do your thing."

Sam nodded. He led Dean to the shower. "Keep little Dean facing the wall."

"Little my ass." Dean scoffed. "I'll have you know…." Dean didn't have a chance to hold in the cry of agony as Sam shoved the rib into place. Sneaky bastard that he was but Sam knew that things like this went smoother when the person was relaxed and not all tensed up expecting the move.

Dean's knees started to give and his vision swam.

Sam took a breath and steadied his brother. "Don't move ok?"

Dean leaned shakily against the shower wall on his hands. He tried to breathe normally but damn.

"Remember when I broke my arm and I couldn't get the cast wet?" Sam didn't wait for an answer. "Mom and Dad had to go help Bobby and we had to stay with the Remingtons. I didn't want anyone to see me naked. You helped me take my baths and stay clean and you told me not to be embarrassed because you were my big brother and you were supposed to help me and someday I might have to do the same for you."

Dean nodded. His breathing was easier now but the steady pain of the now relocated rib was throbbing in sync with his heartbeat.

"Well here we are so just close your eyes and we'll be done before you know it."

Dean closed his eyes. He smiled softly when Sam started to hum classic rock under his breath. He knew that calmed Dean. He knew that his big brother was biting back embarrassment because Dean hated to feel weak.

Dean startled a bit when he felt Sam washing his hair and he sighed. Arandi was the goddess of washing his hair but the little extra Sammy strength was good too. Though he'd swallow his tongue before admitting it.

"Think you can manage your third arm there?" Sam asked with a chuckle.

Dean snickered. "Knew you would look." He held out his hand and Sam handed him the lathered wash cloth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam's clothes were soaked by the time they finished up and he could tell that Dean didn't have much left.

He helped his brother to sit back on the toilet lid with a towel on it and he handed Dean another to do what he could to dry himself while Sam went over his hair and back.

Arandi came back then and did what she could to help.

One look from Dean told Sam to not reveal too much.

She brought him pills and water and Dean took them.

"I can run to get you something to eat." Sam said to both of them.

"I'm good till morning." Dean replied quickly.

"Jade let me nibble on her fruit and yogurt."

"Let's get you to bed then."

"Sammy, the wife is already mad at me."

Sam blushed. "Only you, D."

Dean tilted his head. His eyes were fighting a losing battle to stay open. "You haven't called me that in a long time."

"Yeah well it doesn't stand for Dean."

"So doesn't help your case and you're supposed to be the badass lawyer."

"Move it." Sam groused with a grin. He pulled Dean to his feet. Dean's blood drained and he sucked in his breath. "Bro?"

"I'll be skipping the clothes tonight." Dean panted. "Not for the fun reasons either."

Dean leaned heavily on his little brother. The events of the entire screwed up day and the pills kicking in were catching up fast.

Sam moved as fast as he could towards the bed but Dean crumbled before they made it.

"Dean?" Sam whispered worriedly. He laid his brother down and pulled the sheets over his nakedness quickly. He felt his brother's pulse and laid his head on his chest to listen to his heart and to see if he heard anymore wheezing.

"These pills work fast." Arandi said quietly. She needed something to make her feel ok that Dean had just passed out after his brother had had to help him shower.

"Yeah, he'll be ok." Sam wished that he had time to bind Dean's ribs even though he hated that.

"Dislocated rib, huh?"

Sam smiled and nodded. Dean just never got how his wife wasn't that easily distracted when it came to the man she loved.

"I won't tell him if you don't." She continued.

"Tell him what?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few days later, still battle weary from the wendigo, they came upon an angry spirit drowning people. Neither Sam or Arandi were thrilled that Dean had barely recovered before he was at it again.

Sam wanted to kick himself for wanting to plow ahead to find their dads and now Dean was plowing ahead as well, even though he should have been resting.

Dean wanted to find their dad's just as badly but he had an agenda. Hunting things, saving people, the family business while all Sam wanted to do was find John and Jonathan and kill Azazel. Dean wanted to save the world.

As they followed even the smallest clue to finding their dads. Something was definitely wrong for the weeks to slide by and neither of them called their wives.

It was getting overly frustrating.

Arandi knew Dean trying to sit still and just look for their dads was a nuclear bomb in the making. Dean needed to get his hands in other things regardless of the fact that he was still wincing to get in and out of the car and he hadn't finished a meal in days.

He needed to save people to feel like he was alive and doing the right thing.

So Arandi just watched him wince and held back her own.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It killed him in the fucking kitchen sink." Dean growled as he paced the motel room. "What the literal fuck?"

Arandi sighed as she read the report on her laptop.

"To lose both of your kids within days…." Sam murmured.

"They hadn't even begun to live!" Dean punched the wall hard enough to break through it and make everyone jump.

Arandi stood up and gently maneuvered Dean to the edge of the bed. She started to walk away to get something cold for his knuckles but Dean grabbed her and pulled her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her stomach.

She ran her fingers through his hair. "Baby, we can't save everyone."

"They were just kids."

"Speaking of kids." Jade piped up. "Check this out."

Sam read over her shoulder. "Dean, Jake's son in law was the first victim."

Dean stood up and headed to his brother. "I know Jake didn't take kindly to finding out we lied but why would he leave that out?"

"He's trying to protect his family?" Sam offered.

"No, this stinks to high heaven." Dean said as he grabbed his jacket and started for the door.

"Where you going?" Arandi asked.

"To talk to the only witness left alive." He said as he pointed at the laptop and a picture of Lucas Barr the little boy who had watched his father die.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He hasn't spoken to anyone not even me since the accident." Andrea Barr persisted.

Dean's skin crawled. Accident? How could people blind themselves like that. "I just want to try something."

"He's been through enough."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Hey, Lucas." He called out to the little boy in the park where they were all at. He could be persistent too.

Lucas kept drawing.

"You mind if I look at your art?"

Andrea huffed in annoyance but raised an eyebrow when she noticed Lucas hesitate on his current work. A clear indication that he didn't mind at all.

Dean gave Andrea a smirk and walked over. He crouched down to have a better look through the pile of drawings surrounded by toy soldiers. "These are really good, Lucas."

Lucas kept drawing.

"I was sorry to hear about your dad. I didn't know him but I bet he was awesome huh?"

Lucas's hand slowed down on the drawing.

Dean looked over his shoulder and with a flick of his eyes told Sam to distract Andrea.

Sam automatically started to ask Andrea about Lucas and his condition and she started to talk. She seemed relieved to share.

Dean leaned in closer to Lucas. "I know it wasn't an accident, Lucas. If you can tell me or show me anything I can get whatever got your dad."

Lucas had gone completely still. He looked up at Dean's face side eye. He slowly reached for the pile of drawings and pulled one out from near the bottom.

He handed it to Dean and then went back to his current drawing.

Andrea had witnessed the entire exchange and she now stood slack jawed. It was the most anyone had gotten out of her son since her husband had died.

"Thank you, Lucas." Dean said gently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's the Carlton house." Dean said hurriedly as he rushed to the Impala. "I think it's going to happen again."

They all jumped in the car and Dean sped away. They pulled up to the Carlton place in minutes and Dean breathed in relief to see Mr. Carlton alive but he was on the water in a boat.

Dean and Sam jumped out and started running yelling for him to get out of the water. They didn't get very far before the boat seemed to explode high into the air and Mr. Carlton flipped into the water.

He never came up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They sullenly got out of the car back at the motel.

"Dean!" Andrea yelled from across the parking lot.

They all turned to see her and Lucas running towards them. Lucas looked completely agitated.

"He's been like this for hours and he drew your car so I brought him here." Andrea explained.

Lucas threw his arms around Dean's waist but before he could react Lucas did the same to Arandi. She hugged him and leaned down to try and comfort him.

Lucas looked from one to other wide eyed and grabbed Dean's hand and then Arandi's and put them together.

They didn't need a drawing for this. The monster was coming after them and somehow Lucas knew.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're all crazy." Jake hollered. "I should arrest you all. For putting these insane ideas into my daughter's head and agitating Lucas.

The Winchesters had decided to be honest with Andrea and take the risk of her calling them nuts. Wouldn't be the first time and sure as hell wasn't going to be the last.

Her color had drained but then she had grabbed a pile of Lucas's drawings and began to flip through them until she found what she was looking for.

Tears streamed down her face and Lucas tried to comfort her. "It wasn't an accident." She whispered.

Lucas shook his head silently.

Andrea cried harder. It was the first time Lucas had acknowledged anything from that day. So she had called her father and then things got bad.

He ranted and raved while Andrea tried to explain. He was about to make good on having the Winchesters arrested but Lucas handed him a drawing.

Jake started to shake. "Lucas, how?"

Lucas only stared at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jake slid his hand over the drawing it was a bit crude but it told the story.

"Dad?" Andrea whispered.

"His name was Peter Sweeney." Jake started as he traced a finger over a red bicycle leaned against a tree. "He was the class nerd and Bill and I were the bullies."

Dean moved away from Jake. He knew where it was going and he could feel the anger boiling through him.

"He was too easy to pick on and then we stopped picking on him, made him think we were his friends. We went swimming. We took turns holding his head under water and…..."

"Dad, no." Andrea breathed.

"You left him in the lake?" Dean raged he pulled it back when he saw Lucas cringe.

"We were just kids."

"You got to live and his mom got to wonder everyday what happened to her son." Arandi hissed.

"What happened to Bill. Suffering through his children's deaths is what Peter wants from you."

"Things like that aren't real."

"Really?" Dean leaned in to Jake's face. "So explain to me how Will drowned in a kitchen sink?"

"You let Chris die?" Andrea sobbed. She got up and ran up the stairs.

"Andrea?" Jake got up to follow her but Sam held him back.

"We have to get you all as far from here as possible."

Jake nodded. He was about to sit back down when Andrea's blood curling scream came from upstairs.

Dean and Sam flew up the stairs with everyone else at their heels. She was in the bathroom.

"It's in the water." Dean and Sam said in unison and they kicked in the door. Andrea was struggling in the bathtub full of water.

Sam hit his knees and wrapped strong arms around Andrea. Dean wrapped around Sam and they pulled with everything they had.

"Get him out of here." Dean told Arandi. Lucas was pale and staring frightened out of his wits.

"Andrea!" Jake screamed.

Dean's ribs and chest were still sore as hell but he pushed it back and got a better grip around his brother. "Everything, Sammy."

They both grunted and pulled. Andrea came up out of the water gasping for air and they landed in a wet heap on the floor.

Dean pushed at Sam who had landed solidly on his still recovering ribs. His vision hedged out for a second but he breathed deep as Sam moved off him apologetically.

Jake pulled Andrea out of the bathroom.

Dean and Sam stared at angry eyes that watched them from the tub and vanished as the water began to swirl down the drain.

They were barely getting their wits together when screams and hollers came from downstairs.

There was the sound of breaking glass.

"Dean! Sam!" Jade yelled and they rushed down the stairs.

Andrea was running out the door yelling for Lucas. Jake was right behind her and Arandi was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" Dean asked Jade as he looked out into the night. A full moon glittering over the water.

"Lucas was staring out the window. He was agitated because of his mom then he looked like he was listening to someone and he ran out the door. It slammed behind him when Arandi tried to run out after him she broke through the glass and followed him."

Dean and Sam ran out the broken door. The lake and the pier just yards away.

"Lucas!" Andrea yelled.

There was a loud splash. Followed closely by another.

"No, no, no." Dean kept saying to himself as he put all his speed into his running. "Don't let her in the water." He yelled to Jade referring to Andrea. He had no doubt that Lucas was in the water and that Arandi had gone in after him.

He and Sam dove head first into the water without another thought. They came up together and looked around for a sign of where Lucas or Arandi could be.

Dean heart thudded in his chest. "Give them back. Give her back." He whispered to the water. Something brushed by his leg and he dove.

Peter was holding Lucas. Keeping him from being able to swim back up and Arandi was pulling with everything she had.

Peter wanted revenge and Dean knew he wasn't going to let go. He touched Arandi and motioned for her to go up but she shook her head. They didn't have time to argue. She had already been under a while and Lucas just as long. He had no idea what to do.

Arandi looked at him. He read her eyes and he nodded. It was the only chance they had but it was as dangerous as hell.

They swam fast towards Lucas and Peter. Arandi struck out with a punch to Peter. Another one of Dean's gifts a ring made of iron and infused with salt. It wasn't big enough to make Peter disappear but it was enough to make him let go of Lucas.

Dean grabbed him and swam with everything he had. He broke the surface with Lucas in his arms both of them gasping for air.

He waited for Arandi to follow but she didn't come up and Sam dove seeing Dean's desperation. Dean swam to the dock with Lucas and passed him to Jake. He glared at the older man.

"If anything happens to her you won't have to worry about Peter." He growled.

Jake paled.

Sam came out of the water alone and he shook his head.

Dean's chest tightened. Arandi was a fabulous swimmer. Sophie had been too.

He dove.

The water swirled all around him. He turned and swam forward. A gleam caught his eye. Arandi was in Peter's grasp but she wasn't moving. The gleam had come from her wedding ring.

Dean moved towards Peter pleading in his eyes. Peter glared at him and Dean didn't move not even when the darkness claimed him.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	35. DROWNING IN SORROW

DROWNING IN SORROW

Just how much damage could ribs take before they refused to heal or they just turned to dust. That had to be a thing, right?

Dean felt incredible pressure all through his chest and he pushed at it and coughed hard. Water and whatever spewed from his mouth as his eyes flew open and he struggled to turn over and breathe before he drowned. Wait a minute he had been drowning but so had…

"Ara….nn." He coughed hard and more water flowed out his mouth.

He stared into Sam's hazel eyes. Filled with panic and anger. A lot of anger. Apparently his little brother was talented at aggressive CPR.

"S'm." Dean grabbed at Sam's wet shirt.

"I got you both." Sam heaved. "But…"

"Damn it, Arandi!" Jade pleaded. She was working on her sister and even from where Dean lay not too far off he could see her not breathing and her blue tinged lips.

Dean struggled to sit up and shoved at Sam when he tried to pull him back. He crawled towards his wife.

"We'll be WWE tag team champions and figure skating in hell before you let drowning end you." He said as he sat. He lifted her putting her between his legs with her back to his chest. He squeezed with everything he had, making his own chest scream in protest but he'd be damned if he let pain keep him from saving his wife. The love his life. This one and every other one out there for those who believed in that sort of stuff.

He squeezed again. Water gushed from her mouth and he turned her head sealed his lips over hers and breathed. The most wonderful feeling came when he felt her suck air in hungrily. He held her tightly and didn't move his lips from hers.

"Show off." She murmured against his lips.

"Never gonna stop trying to impress my girl but staying conscious might be a problem."

"Right there with you." She breathed and went slack in his arms. Dean followed close behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean's eyes fluttered open. It was mostly dark but he knew where he was. The scents and the coldness gave it away. He knew he wasn't alone and the fresh oxygen tickled his nose. The roughness of the hospital gown brushing against his skin. The pull of the IV taut and stinging.

"S'mmy?"

"Right here." Sam answered off to his right close to windows presently covered with the blinds.

Just with those two words Dean could tell sight unseen that Sam was pissed.

He sighed and it made his chest hurt. He coughed.

"You need me to get a nurse?"

"Where's Arandi?" Dean replied.

"Across the hall they only have private rooms here. Was the best I could do."

He wanted to see her badly but he knew if he got up then Sam would probably tackle him. He knew why Sam was mad. He wasn't going to play the 'I don't know what you're talking about card' this time. "Would you have left Jade?" He asked simply.

"That's low even for you." Sam hissed.

"What do you want me to say?"

"You would just go out like that just leave us all to suffer?"

"Imagine that, Sammy, the people left behind suffering. Who knew?"

He nearly felt the realization slam into his brother.

Dean felt his chest tighten painfully. Was he having a heart attack? "Sam, I think I'm gonna need that nurse now." He said through gritted teeth.

"Dean?" Sam was by him touching him. Dean squeezed his hand desperately.

An alarm started to sound. Sam began to panic and Dean willed it all away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The damage to his chest from the accident and then the CPR caused a severe chest spasm. It's like a hand full of Charlie horses to the chest takes your breath away and you feel like you're having a heart attack but he'll be fine." The doctor explained to Sam who was on the verge of having his own chest issues if all this crap didn't stop.

Sam had stopped the questions about the different injuries to Dean's chest and stomach by saying that his brother was a stuntman and had just been recovering from an accident. Thankfully Andrea had helped them cover for the reason they were in the lake fully clothed. So everything was covered.

Fuck they hadn't been on the road that long together and already Dean had been hurt more than Sam could handle plus a near drowning. Was this how Dean's life on the road with Arandi was since he left home?

Apparently he wore the darkest shade of rose colored glasses and if pain was Dean's mistress then denial was his.

Jade leaned tiredly against him. She had been rudely awakened by all the alarms and medical staff running around like mad. Which had awakened her sister and they all thought Dean was dying.

Arandi had been sedated and Dean given enough pain meds to keep him floating like he hated.

"You should go home and rest." The doctor said. "They are going to be out of it for a while."

Sam and Jade exchanged glances. The clueless would remain so.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He could be a coward sometimes. When it came to big brother anyway. Sam huffed. He had used his own wife as excuse to turn tail and run from the hospital. She needed to eat. She needed to rest. He didn't need her down too. Denial romanced him like crazy.

It had nothing to do with the guilt biting deep into his jugular aiming for blood because Dean had slapped him silly without lifting a hand. He could be like John more than he cared to admit. He was willing to shovel out crap as long as none of it came back on him. He needed to invest in some shit kickers.

Him leaving home to go to college to live his life with Jade had been his stand for independence. What most families strived for their children to accomplish. Most families except his it seemed. He wanted to leave the hunting life. He had been proud of himself until Dean sacrifices screamed in his face.

He had ignored it at first. Pretended it was all normal, all good. Everyone would get over it. Cough, cough…. dad.

His brother should have a nine to five job and be safe at home watching his action movies and classic horror with his wife and kids.

Sam sat up on the bed and moved towards the small motel kitchen to get a bottle of water. Pulling Dean's limp body from the lake had been agony in itself and adrenalin had helped him gain enough strength to pull them both up but it had taken all hands on deck to get them onto the dock. Which at that point had only been Jade, Andrea, and a still shell shocked Lucas.

Dean was in danger everyday while Sam sat in classes getting a higher education. Dean had walked away from all of that for him and Sam had basically spat in his face.

How could Dean even look at him without wanting to punch him repeatedly? Dean should have gone to college but he had made his choice just like Sam had. Arandi and Jade by their sides.

He sighed loudly. Enough of that crap. He wasn't going to regret his choices. He couldn't take them back unless a time machine magically appeared. He was more than sure he wouldn't change his choices then either but he sure would try to talk his brother into a different life. Dean could have picked up where he left off but he had chosen to hunt he didn't have to hunt.

Sam sat at the table and flipped open Dean's journal. He'd have to start another one soon this one was bulging with information. All the times that Sam could have gotten the call that he would never see Dean again.

"Werewolves can turn vamps and vice versa." Sam muttered to himself. He wondered when Dean was going to tell him about that. He wondered when Dean had gotten so go at sketching. Kids saved from ogres, infected Mantia scratches, and so much more.

It was surreal to realize he wore his dark rose colored denial glasses on a regular basis. All these hunts that could have taken his brother and sister in law from him…...from them all, forever.

There was also a Maggie and Rob's phone numbers and address that was circled and encoded which meant they could be trusted.

Sam felt a pang of jealousy. Was this how Dean felt when he thought about the life his little brother was leading that didn't include him? Had he really expected his brother not to make connections beyond family?

A thump on the door had Sam up and moving to grab his gun. Jade was already crouched by the bed with her gun and he motioned for her to stay quiet.

There was a quick knock. Sam tip toed to the window and peaked out. Peep holes were dangerous if someone wanted to put a bullet in your eye.

He nearly jumped out of his skin to see a face pressed against the glass staring at him.

Sam flung open the door. "Damn it, Dean, what are doing out of the hospital?" He knew he shouldn't have left. He grabbed his brother to help him inside and shouldn't have been surprised to find Arandi right beside him.

"Sammy, get everything and let's go." Dean managed and maneuvered towards the Impala instead of inside the room. His arm protectively around Arandi giving him a great excuse to be hunched.

"Dean?"

"I'll explain as we go."

Sam and Jade didn't bother to ask they packed everything up in a blink and they were on the road in less than ten minutes.

Dean and Arandi were quiet in the back seat.

"Dean?"

"There was an incident at the hospital. Shifter. Sniffed us out. They probably found the body already. Set off the fire alarms so that we could escape and Arandi managed to hack us release papers and scramble the security footage for most of the day. So even if they suspected us we were legally release hours ago. Doctor's gonna think he's working too hard. Hospital so understaffed there was no one on the floor. The nurses had their hands full."

"You end up in a hospital with a hunt? Of course you do." Sam huffed in disbelief. "Where did you even find silver in a hospital?" He pushed the added guilt back. They should have just napped at the hospital.

"Letter opener on a desk."

"So now what?"

He got no reply.

"Dean?"

"Maggie and Rob's, Sam." Arandi whispered. "They are both medically trained."

Sam looked in the mirror. Dean was out cold, pale and feverish looking. Flinching even as he slept. Sam knew that only severe pain could do that to someone like Dean.

Jade was getting the address and Sam floored the gas pedal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Babe." Maggie sighed as she looked at her caller ID. Dean was calling again. Did the man have a pain kink or what? Did they only get hurt in the witching hours? "You better not be half dead." She growled into the phone.

"Maggie?"

She sat up fast scared it was that call. The one she pushed out of her head constantly. The one that would tell her she would never see Dean and Arandi again and not because they had retired. "Where are they?" She said a little too loud.

"With me. They're hurt and we're about five miles out."

"And you are?"

"Sam. Dean's younger brother."

So he did have a brother. Of course he did. Now that she was in love with Rob.

"Tell me what to expect so we can be ready."

"My wife, Jade, she'll give you the down low. She's Arandi's little sister by the way."

She liked Sam already. He knew what needed to be out of the way and he was married too.

She loved Rob damn it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie's mouth fell open when Rob opened the door. She did the usual holy water test and Rob tossed the silver flakes Arandi had gifted them last time around. Only all of it landed on the jacket of the tallest man Maggie had ever had the pleasure of having at her door and an unconscious Arandi in his arms.

"I'm clean. Promise." Sam smiled. "Where can I put her?"

"I'll take her." Rob rushed forward. "You get Dean in here."

Sam passed Arandi to Rob but looked him up and down.

"He's a good friend." Rob offered. "We owe him a lot. We owe them both a lot."

Sam nodded and headed to get his brother while Jade followed Rob.

Maggie and Rob stared at Sam when he came back in with his arms full of Dean. He had to be strong to pull that off. He set him down gently beside Arandi.

"What do you need us to do?" He inquired.

"Are you like your brother?" Maggie asked.

"If by that you mean stubborn and not gonna move until I know he's…. they are going to ok then yes."

"Alrighty then you might as well help."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sun was coming up by the time Maggie was sure that their patients didn't need to go back to the hospital.

Sam had asked what they needed. They gave him a list and within an hour he lugged everything they needed plus extra.

"Do I want to know?" Maggie asked.

Sam blushed. His dimples full bloom. "Probably not."

Maggie smiled. Was like their entire family walking and talking beauty and handsomeness? Sunshine radiant smiles. She needed to get the name of their dentist, invest solidly in their brand of toothpaste.

"Arandi!" Dean suddenly yelled and sat up too fast. The color drained from his face and Sam had the bucket in front his brother before anyone else moved.

Maggie winced with every heave. Every movement had to be agony.

Dean was shaking and covered in sweat by the time he was done. Jade was standing by with water and wash clothes.

They were just as adept as their siblings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Rob got along almost as well and Dean and Rob did. They played poker and got to know each other. It didn't get past Maggie that Sam seemed to look at Rob with a touches of envy. It was evident that Sam didn't like to be reminded that Dean had actual friendships outside of home.

It wasn't long before Maggie felt like she knew Sam and Jade as well as she knew Dean and Arandi.

It was their third night there when Sam looked up and got up in a rush to meet Dean as he stumbled out of the guest bedroom.

"You shouldn't be up yet." Sam scolded.

"I'm stiff." Dean grumbled. "Can't be on my ass so long."

Sam huffed and let Dean keep going but he moved right alongside him.

"I'm fine, mom."

"When you can move faster than the speed of sloth then we'll talk." Sam snapped.

Dean glared. "Careful, Rob. He cheats." He smirked. "Mags, you got any fruit juice? Arandi wants something with flavor."

So she was awake too.

"Let's go shopping." Jade offered Maggie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat on the bed and watched Arandi going through their duffels sorting out clothes. Maggie had a washer and dryer and told them they had free reign.

They had slept most of the days since the hospital run and hadn't really talked about anything. Dean wasn't sure what had happened besides his decision to stay in the water.

He had pulled Arandi close and he held her like she might not be there if he didn't. She had sighed and cuddled up cozy with him.

They were hunters. Their lives always in danger. They were kidding themselves if they didn't know the outcome of their story, how it would all end.

One would go without the other because the way their luck ran; karma wouldn't let them go together. He realized after the lake that they might not go together but the other wouldn't be far behind.

Part of that scared him. He didn't want Arandi to go out like that because of him. They could quit hunting but it was so ingrained in his blood that it would be liking giving up a very big part of himself. Even now that he would get winded just walking to the bathroom he was already wondering what the next hunt would be. How far they would have to go to find their dads. His skin itching to be on the open road.

Dean's days of trying to be a normal working man had said their goodbyes and rode into the sunset. He was a hunter through and through. Arandi at his side because she would never leave him unless he did something truly awful.

"We should shower before they get back from the store." Arandi broke him out of his reverie.

"Only if you wash my hair and shave me." He smirked knowing she had that planned all along.

She smiled at him and somehow that always made him feel better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie should have known that Jade would be as stealthy as Arandi at buying groceries. There was no way they would eat everything she bought in a couple of days. Because regardless of what Maggie or Rob told Dean and Arandi she knew they would only last that much longer.

When they got back from the store Arandi was sitting on the sofa sideways with her back against some pillows against the arm rest. Dean was lying between her legs with his head on her thigh on his side curled up watching TV looking a bit winded.

She was running her fingers through his hair. They looked freshly showered and Maggie imagined that was why Dean was worn out.

"I thought we'd make some homemade chicken soup." Jade offered as she pulled groceries out of bags.

"Sounds great." Sam replied. A tactic to stay put, smart.

"They're treating us like invalids." Dean grumbled.

"I'll make you a pecan pie." Jade smiled.

"Pie doesn't define me."

"Jack Daniel's pecan pie."

"Soup it is."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For all the hoopla Dean only managed half a bowl of soup and two forkfuls of pie.

He was barely keeping his eyes open but he didn't want to give in. So Arandi had to coax him to bed because she was tired and she didn't want to be alone.

Sam helped them settle in.

"What happened, Sam?" Dean yawned.

Sam knew what Dean was asking. They hadn't had a chance to talk about anything since the lake.

"Jake gave himself to Peter." Sam sighed. "He didn't want Andrea and Lucas in danger anymore. That's why Peter let go of Arandi."

Dean licked his lips. He didn't want to lie to Arandi but he didn't want to upset her either.

She beat him to the punch. "I would have done the same." She breathed.

Sam sighed deep. He couldn't be mad because it was Dean and Arandi. One without the other didn't mean a damn thing and that scared him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie moved through her house. It was the middle of the night but she had gone to bed early and now she was wide awake while everyone else slept.

Well almost everyone. She found Arandi sitting in the semi dark in the living room deep in thought.

"Everything ok?" Maggie asked.

Arandi sighed. "Do you want the straight up lie or the sugar coated version?"

Maggie sat down close to her friend. "You told him you would do the same but it scares you how quickly he gave up."

"My little sister?"

Maggie smiled. "I may not see you every day but I pick up things. Part of my job."

"I don't know how quickly he gave up. I was drowning but as upset as Sam seemed. I knew it wasn't good."

"You deal with death more than most people. Even me as a nurse."

Arandi nodded. "I've almost lost him a couple times so yeah and I've had some close calls. I can't let myself think about it too often because I'd go nuts get distracted and get us closer to death faster than intended. Even not hunting will guarantee our safety. Besides there is only one thing that will make Dean quit the hunting life and it's not me asking nicely with cherries on top."

Maggie knew what she meant but before she could reply. Dean shuffled into the living room.

"You ok, baby?"

"Fine, love. I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you."

"I got cold." He pouted and Maggie watched Arandi smile fondly.

"Can't have that can we?" She said as she stood up and Dean yawned tiredly. She smiled at Maggie and led Dean back to bed. They loved each other so much.

Maggie sat where she was. She griped about her life sometimes but she had it made compared to some.

Maybe soulmates weren't all they were made out to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie wasn't alone long. Sam wandered into the living room like a shy pup.

She knew the look. "How about I warm us up some roast and veggies?"

Sam's smile was nearly as blinding as Dean's. He sat at the bar while she busied herself getting things ready. She knew he was dying to help but one look deterred him. She threw in mac and cheese some salad because anyone six five had to eat plenty.

She settled across from him as he ate contentedly behind his bangs.

"Long hair, short hair?"

Sam brushed his hair away. "Dean used to have long hair too, not as long but once he started going on the big hunts he said it got in the way. I just didn't care what my dad said."

Maggie wasn't sure if it was a jibe at his brother or his dad. Probably both.

"Can I ask you some questions?"

"Shoot." She said around a bite of mac and cheese.

"How did you meet Dean and Arandi?"

"They haven't told you about me and Rob?"

Sam ducked his head. "Jade and I are students at Stanford so we just barely started this road trip with them."

Maggie nodded. She hoped she wasn't opening a huge can of warrior worms on steroids. She told him every detail of the day she had met Dean and Arandi and what followed.

"He was hurt then too." Sam huffed. He was on his second serving. "How often do they come here?"

"Just a couple of times."

"Of course, they are not always that close."

Maggie didn't like to think about that.

He licked his lips and met her eyes. "I want to thank you for being there for my brother. For being there for both of them."

"No thanks needed, Sam. They have become like wayward siblings to me and Rob and I hope you know that you and Jade are always welcome as well. You don't have to be bleeding or showing bones by the way."

Sam laughed.

She loved Rob.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Half way back to Maggie's bedroom with Sam back in bed and she had gotten things cleaned up, she found herself face to face with Dean.

He moved very quietly when he needed to and she suddenly felt like she should go into a different kind of medicine.

Dean who usually ate like his own small army hadn't been eating much so Maggie didn't worry about having to pull the left overs back out. Not that Sam had left much to put back.

His green eye's bore into her and she sighed. "What kind of friend would I be if I spilled what she said to me?"

"I just need to know that she's ok." He replied.

"You think she would cover things up to you?"

"We have been together a long time. Some of my habits might have rubbed off on her."

"She was worried about you. You're worried about her. I'm dizzy."

"You must think I'm insane for keeping her in this life." Dean leaned back against the wall, clearly tired.

"You were both raised in the hunting life."

"So were Sam and Jade and they are going to be lawyers. The only reason they are with us now is because our dads went missing."

"They left the hunting life but the hunting life didn't leave them?"

Dean smirked. "Yeah, something like that."

"It would be worse for you and Arandi because you both have done so much on your own. You have saved so many lives."

Dean nodded. "We've had one too many close calls and I don't want this for her anymore but…..."

"She's gonna follow you no matter which way you go."

Dean looked at her with a mix of pride and sadness. "Yeah, I know and that's what scares me."

"It was you that stayed in that water." She pointed out.

"That really wasn't a choice. Arandi, is my heart and soul, without her…."

Maggie nodded. He didn't need to finish for her to get the idea. She knew exactly how strong that bond was.

He swallowed hard and looked down at his socks. "So my gigantor brother?" He changed the subject.

"How in the world did your parents keep you two fed?"

Dean chuckled. "Actually Sam ate most of my food so I'm making up for it now."

Maggie quirked an eyebrow.

"Well I usually do when I don't feel like a cement truck is parked on my abdomen." He kept looking at her expectantly.

She shook her head. "I'm not telling you and your freaky spidey sense what he said either. Same deal, he's worried about you and Arandi and sometimes it's easier to talk to people outside that inner circle. "'Nuff said."

Dean smiled. "Jade is in the bathroom waiting her turn." He shuffled back to the room.

Sure enough the bathroom door cracked open seconds later.

Dr. Phil had nothing on her. She headed back to the kitchen. She was going to have to work out extra hard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jade sipped on the hot tea and then stirred it like doing it over and over again would solve all their problems.

"There is actually a spell." Jade huffed. "Needs more ingredients though."

"Did I say that out loud?" Maggie blushed.

"No but I read people pretty well. You get good at that when you're practically assigned the final position on any team."

"Little sister to all."

Jade huffed. "I'm good at what I do. I'll never be as good as Arandi but I stay trained and I worry about them all. Part of me wishes…"

"Did you want to be a lawyer?" Maggie pressed now stirring her own tea with conviction.

"Yes and no." Jade sighed. "I was a little more open to hunting than Sam but Arandi talked to me. She told me that it was up to me but that she would sleep better at night if she knew I was as far away from the life as I could get."

"There is no getting away is there?"

"No there isn't. Sam is having dreams again but not often. I can never break the habit of scanning the local news for hunts. I even went on one on my own when Sam was cramming for an exam just to prove to myself that I still could. That I'm not the helpless one in all this crap."

"Weren't you scared?"

"Actually it was so fucking exhilarating. I felt like I was high for days after."

"What was it?"

"A couple of ghouls but I fell into like I never left and I was done in a couple of hours."

"You never told Sam?"

"I was going to even though I knew that it was going to lead to one hell of an argument but then all this other stuff started to happen."

"Please tell me you will not do it again."

"I won't I'm not that eager to die. If the monster didn't get me Arandi or my mom sure as hell would. Sam I can pretty much calm down from the angriest of fits."

"I still can't believe how in the dark I was about the world until I was almost a victim."

"You were still a victim, Maggie. You just happened to be a saved one."

Maggie smiled and sipped her tea. "So tell about that ghoul hunt."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie sighed in half frustration and half anger when she walked into her kitchen two days later to find everyone dressed. She spotted the duffels by the door.

She could tell that Sam was less than thrilled. Dean was either way better or faking it like a pro.

"You want to find dad then I can't be on my ass anymore." Dean was saying.

"We can look for dad without hunting."

"I won't hunt if we don't find anything to hunt."

"You already found something! That's the only reason you're saying that! The only reason we're leaving! Damn it, Dean, take care of yourself! Maggie?"

She threw her hands in the air. "Oh no, no, you don't get me for your tug of war rope between growly hunters."

Maggie saw Dean's nose flare and Arandi stepped back even Rob grabbed his plate of breakfast and stepped into the living room. Had to be a man thing.

Maggie gasped and nearly fell on her ass when Dean swung around so fast she barely registered it and Sam was on the ground pinned by his brother. He struggled to flip his smaller brother but couldn't and finally angrily he tapped out.

"Easy, Tiger. You wanted faster than the speed of sloth. I think that qualifies." Dean smirked as he stood up and helped Sam to his feet.

There was no way that didn't hurt like hell but Maggie figured the pain level was down to where Dean was comfortable with it and that made her nauseas.

Sam couldn't control his bitch face. "Fine but…"

"I won't come crying to you, Sammy. Pinky swear." Dean poked.

Rob patted Sam on the back to relay he felt for him but he too didn't want to ever be on the receiving end of one of Dean's 'you're so going to pay for that' glares.

They all hugged goodbye.

"I'm here if you need me for anything." Maggie whispered to Arandi.

Arandi tightened the hug and nodded.

She offered the same to Jade.

Maggie and Rob stood on their porch until the Impala was out of sight.

"You would cheat on me with one of them wouldn't you?" Rob asked around a mouthful of omelet.

"As if you wouldn't too." Maggie huffed and walked into the house.

"Dibs on Sam!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had found a hunt and he felt a bit guilty for not sharing straight out but Sam was already in danger of having his bitch face permanently frozen in place.

He knew Sam had every right to fret because if he put himself in his little brother's shoes he would have already put Sam in a panic room to keep him safe.

The silence in the car was deafening. Everyone lost in their own little space.

Dean had only dared to glance at his brother a couple of times in the rear view just to find his brother looking back. He was watching Dean for signs of fatigue or pain. If anyone was an expert at covering pain, it was the one and only Dean Winchester.

He only gave Sam one brief glare after he came out of the gas station from paying for gas and snacks to find his brother behind the wheel. Dean didn't feel like arguing. Sam wanted to drive so be it.

He really wanted to kick himself when he fell asleep nearly still in the parking lot.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam kept glancing over at his sleeping brother. Dean had tried to cover and most of the time he was really good at it but Sam had seen the tiredness in his gait to the gas station doors and the way he had leaned his head down onto the car while he waited for the gas to pump.

So he had just climbed behind the wheel daring Dean to say anything. His brother had given him one brief glare but caved. Another sure fire sign that Dean was exhausted.

Arandi had settled in the back with Jade so that left Dean in the passenger seat. He settled in and rummaged through the junk food he had bought but picked nothing.

With a huff he had squirmed around and laid his head back and was out before Sam was even done pulling onto the highway.

Yeah, that's what Sam thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours later Sam pulled into a motel parking lot, Dean hadn't woken up once not even when Sam had had to pull over for more gas. It had started to rain hard so Sam decided to play it safe and pull over for the night.

He ordered some take out through a drive thru and then dashed into the motel office to pay for some rooms only to find that everyone on the highway had decided to pull over out of the rain so it was either share a room or try to find another motel.

Sam made the split decision to share because he was tired now since he had been the only one that didn't get to nap and the clerk gave him a slight discount for not getting what he really wanted with free breakfast too boot. Dean would love that.

Arandi had awakened Dean by that point. Sam was sure that he would have been out of the car already if not for the rain.

He climbed in the car and told them the situation. Dean gave a slight huff but nodded.

It turned out to be a really nice room with plenty of space and comfortable beds.

Dean instantly claimed the one closest to the door a habit that Sam sort of got but never asked.

Sam started to spread out the food while everyone else got comfortable. They ate at the table and had some small talk but everyone was road weary and ready for more sleep. The rain outside only helped lull them all to a deep sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The soft rustle of paper brought Dean awake. His hand was already wrapped tightly around the knife he kept under his pillow. Arandi reassuring hand told him there was no trouble. He relaxed and heard the rustle of paper again.

"He's reading my journal." Arandi whispered close to his ear.

Dean groaned internally. They kept very detailed journals. A rule of the hunter's life. Chronical everything for the next generation because you probably won't be alive to tell the tale.

He could either go back to sleep or deal with the provoked bear while he was still half asleep.

He decided to just get the rampage over with. He got up slowly and headed to the bathroom. He relieved himself and washed his hands and face.

Back in the room he headed to the table where Sam was pretty much half way through Arandi's journal, he sat across from him. Dean had expected grizzly Sam. He felt a twist in his gut to see his brother's eyes shiny, his bottom lip caught in his teeth. A habit he had when he was upset.

Dean waited.

"I see all the lives you and Arandi have saved. I really do but then I see every single time that…..." Sam swallowed hard. "That it could have been over."

"Sam…."

"You don't have to try to coddle me. I know that nothing I say will change what is in your blood, that for you to give up hunting is like asking you to stop breathing." Sam took a deep breath. He understood, he really did that Dean and Arandi had done some amazing things and so many people would be suffering if not for their courage. He couldn't mock that or down play it even as every agonizing injury, spell, and or failure screamed at him. He couldn't stop his brother so he was going to be there for him one way or another. The mother hen thing was a hard habit to break.

"I will stop, Sam, I have to when Arandi and I become parents but until then I have to save as many people as I can and kill as much evil as I can find. When my children are born I want this world so much safer than it is now and I can do that. Me. Dean Winchester."

"You're not the only hunter in the world, Dean."

"No, but I'm the best." He smirked trying to get to his brother.

It worked. Sam grinned with a sniffle. "Conceited much?"

Dean lifted his chin proudly. "The truth little brother."

"The best hunter in the world. I will gladly concede that to you as long as you agree to hold the title for years and years to come while still alive and once retired."

Dean stood up from the chair and headed to the fridge to dig up something to snack on. He startled and then leaned into the tight embrace that he found himself in and returned it.

"I will always need you." Sam whispered in his ear.

"Ditto."

Outside their door, the rain poured and shadows drifted into the darkness that they lived for.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	36. BLOODY LINES

BLOODY LINES

"It's a fucking double standard and you know it!" Sam hissed vehemently.

"Double standard, triple sundaes, quadruplet hotties on a beach, you are not putting your ass on the line and that's that." Dean growled.

"There is no other way.'

Dean gave Sam the type of glare that actually made him squirm. The ones that reached for his very soul but he didn't look away.

"It's not your fault your friends died in that fire, Sam."

"Isn't it? I could have warned them."

"Warned them how? They would have either thought you were pulling their leg or that you had cracked your marble jar and let them roll down a steep hill."

"I could have warned them." Sam repeated. "Dean, I'm not a snot nosed kid anymore. I have the right to put my ass on the line just as much as you do. So don't play that card with me ok? You're always going on about saving lives and this is the only way that we can save this girl."

"It's not the only way."

"No, Dean, I'm putting my foot down on this one. You are still recovering and I don't need your permission."

The glare came again and Sam didn't think it was possible for it to intensify. Damn, was he wrong.

"Fine, but we're doing it together."

"Shocker." Sam mumbled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bloody Mary? Really?" Arandi huffed.

"Yeah but this one not only scares the crap out of you it actually scratches your eyes out." Dean said a little too excitedly. It was sort of a first time in a long time that Dean and Sam had done the research without their wives.

"She's killing people that have gotten away with murder because she was murdered and her killer was never punished." Sam explained.

"So why didn't she go after him?"

"Bastard died of a heart attack." Dean supplied. "She tried to write his name in her blood but never finished and there was no other evidence against the murdering dick."

"Ok what are we doing?" Arandi asked.

"Sam and I are going to break into the antique store that bought the mirror that Mary was killed in front of. Somehow Mary's vengeful spirit got caught up in it and seems to be able to move through any reflective surface. Sam thinks since Jackie and Kurt died in the duplex that he fits the bill for getting away with murder."

Sam tried to mimic Dean's glare. He knew he wasn't even close the way his brother smirked at him. There was a million other ways that Dean could have said those words in front of their wives.

It was easy to tell from the tension that the brothers had argued about the whole situation.

"Sam, it wasn't your fault." Jade hugged her husband.

"We don't know that for sure. Besides Charlie is terrified and she is probably next if we don't do something tonight."

"The only reason I agreed to this whole idea." Dean grumbled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean hated when he did sloppy work. At least he felt as if he had been sloppy. He could hear his dad's voice in his head berating him. He had accidently set off a silent alarm and he was going to have to leave Sam alone while he dealt with the police outside.

This was far from the ideal he had generated in his mind of how hunting with his brother would be like now that he was all grown.

Arandi and Jade had gone to Charlie's to protect her in case Bloody Mary went after her first. There had already been another death.

He stared at the unconscious cops who he had quickly gotten frustrated with and just punched their lights out. How was he supposed to know the owner of the store was Asian when he claimed to be the son? Sam had been alone too long and he was sure that he had heard breaking glass.

He rushed back in the store praying the cops stayed out long enough for them to get out of there in one piece.

He lost his breath when he found Sam with bleeding eyes and struggling to breathe on the floor while his reflection blamed him for Jackie and Kurt's death. It said Sam could have warned them. The Sam argument that Sam had repeated to him over and over.

Dean rushed forward taking the crow bar he had brought with him and crashed it through the mirror as he turned his face away. The mirror shattered into a million pieces and for just a moment something inside his mind stirred like a lost memory but he didn't have time to chase the fragment.

He crouched down to check on his brother. Sam was breathing normal again but looking a bit dazed.

"Sammy, you alright?" Dean asked worriedly taking his brother's face into his hands to make sure that Sam's eyes weren't about to explode. He wasn't sure what to look for but he was sure that there had to be some sign.

They needed to get out of there. While he would love to think that his judo skills were the greatest in the known universe he knew that all he had done to the cops was knock them out and they weren't going to stay like that all night.

He helped Sam to his feet and Sam leaned heavily against him. They started to stagger along.

They both stopped, their hearts hammering when they heard an eerie groan and the unmistakable sound of glass being crushed under foot. They turned slowly to find Mary coming towards them walking like her entire body was broken.

Dean started to tell Sam to run for it but the most intense pain filled his head and chest and he couldn't breathe. Hot tears streamed down his face and he knew it was blood just like Sam, who was falling to the floor with him in the same agony all over again.

Dean gritted his teeth. He had to get Sam out of there and his vision was already hedging out. This was Sam's second dose and he had to do something. Instinct told him to grab the mirror beside him and though it was very heavy he managed to heave it up in front of himself and Sam. His arms trembled from the effort and his chest ached even more. Mary stopped walking, her face once so beautiful showing from behind long hair.

She looked at her own reflection and she realized that she was just as guilty of what she was accusing others of doing. With a cry of dismay, she melted into the floor to face hell even though she had been slaughtered for falling in love with the wrong man.

Dean tossed the mirror and it shattered where Mary had stood.

The brothers able to breathe again sat still for a moment. Dean's mind working like mad on things that were just out of his grasp. His chest still panged awfully. He did the only thing he knew how. Turned the situation to humor.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, Dean."

"Just how much bad luck are we talking here?"

Sam huffed and pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. Dean followed, he blinked and swallowed hard.

They leaned on each other and stumbled out the back door.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

After making sure that Charlie was going to be ok and Dean and Sam being checked to make sure they were really alright, Arandi drove them as far as she could before Dean started looking green.

Sam had fallen asleep with his head on Jade's lap and as long as his legs were he was going to start cramping up.

Arandi found a place and pulled over. Dean and Sam leaned back against the car, hands stuffed in their pockets, and waited for their wives to check them in.

Dean could feel Sam's eyes on him and he waited.

"Why did your eyes bleed, Dean?"

Dean huffed an unbelieving laugh. "How many innocent people have died because I didn't figure something out fast enough or I didn't have enough bullets or I got there a day late?"

Sam stared at his brother in shock. "None of that is your fault, Dean. You're not the only hunter in the world."

"Everything is my fault, Sam, haven't you heard? Inflation, unemployment. The disappointment in your eyes, the fall of the galactic empire, all on me!"

By then Arandi and Jade were back and Arandi gave Sam a look that said 'drop it please'.

Dean took the key from her hand and headed straight to their room.

"He can't really feel like that?" Sam murmured.

"Sam, if Dean got frequent flyer miles for all his guilt trips he'd never pay for a vacation again." She said as she followed her husband.

Sam just wasn't sure how to feel about any of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi walked into the room and closed the door.

"Can we not talk about it?" Dean growled. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head down.

"Talk about what?"

Sometimes he was sure that he didn't deserve her.

"You should shower first; you look ready to crash."

If she only knew. He stood up slowly. "Sounds great." He sighed. His chest still ached and his head was pounding a slow dreadful beat behind his eyes.

"You go ahead and I'll get your stuff ready."

Dean took the first couple of steps towards the bathroom before he realized that none of it was going to happen when he hit his knees and was out cold before he even finished falling.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean!" Arandi cried out as she saw him crumble. She rushed to his side cursing under her breath. He wasn't giving himself enough time to heal from any of the major injuries and the smaller ones didn't even ping for Dean.

She still didn't really know how much he and Sam had had to endure from the bout with Bloody Mary. It couldn't have been a picnic for there to be enough pressure or whatever to cause their eyes to bleed.

She turned him slowly and Dean's eyes were fluttering open. "Dean?"

"Sorry." He slurred. "I was more beat than I thought."

"Dean?"

"That's it. I swear. Bad headache, nauseated as all hell, and exhausted."

She studied him closely trying to read him. "Shower in the morning it is." She sighed and helped him up.

Without another word she got him to the bed out of his clothes down to his boxers. His eyes barely opened and he was gone the second his head touched the pillow.

Arandi checked him over and made sure he didn't have a fever before she tucked him away.

She sat beside him for a few minutes just watching him before she readied herself for bed. She wasn't sure how much more she could take before she imploded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Feeling guilty enough for two friends dying in their home, Sam wasn't about to let down any other friends in trouble.

Dean wasn't thrilled about heading back down a long stretch of road they had just covered when Sam demanded to go help a friend who e-mailed saying that her brother was being framed for murder. She just couldn't figure out how or by who.

That was exactly it. He had demanded it and Dean knew Arandi was leaving it up to him. When it came to Sam there was just a very thin line. Stubborn as he was he knew he needed to rest a couple of days and had planned on it until this.

Dean caved only because he didn't want his brother carrying all that burden of guilt that Dean himself couldn't seem to shake. Besides Jade had laid the same strategy on Arandi. After all Sam and Jade had the same circle of friends.

Dean and Arandi had exchanged looks.

Dean busted the tire screeching U-turn and they were on their way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After brief introductions once they reached St. Louis. Rebecca told them how her brother Zach had been with her when the police claimed that Zach's girlfriend had been killed. To make matters worse they had Zach on video entering his girlfriend's place moments before her death.

"He was here with me at that time I swear. I wouldn't lie for him for something so serious." Rebecca sniffled. "How can one person be at two places at one time?"

The hunters exchanged looks.

"We can check into it see what we find?" Sam offered giving his concerned head tilt and soft voice.

"I don't want anything that could get my brother in more trouble."

"No problem. My brother Dean and his wife are both in law enforcement."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Sam watched the surveillance tape of Zach that Rebecca had managed to swipe from his lawyer while the women worked on snacks.

To anyone that watched it was clearly Zach entering the building. To a hunter's trained eyes, the brief eye flash told them it wasn't Zach but something that looked just like him.

"Shapeshifter." Dean grumbled. "Their eyes do that on videos and photos."

"We need to see the crime scene. See if we pick up any clues to where this thing might be or who it's pretending to be now."

"You know your friend in there isn't going to believe any of this."

If we can clear her brother she might believe anything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The cops are claiming that Zach paid someone to mess up the crime scene. Why would you jeopardize this for us, Sam?" Rebecca paced furiously.

Apparently a nosy neighbor had seen Dean and Sam enter the closed off apartment.

"We were trying to find something the police might have missed."

"Did you?"

"No…...we…."

"If this is how you're going to help then just leave!"

"Hold your fucking horses you, ungrateful bitch!" Arandi moved forward as Rebecca backed up wide eyed until she hit the wall.

Dean wrapped his hand around Arandi's arm gently keeping her back. He didn't dare push to have that fury directed at him.

"Sam bent over backwards to get us to come here and help you and your brother and you're going to stand there with your privileged life attitude and look down your nose at us because we didn't snap our fingers and fix everything in one day so that you could go back to Paris?" Arandi hissed.

Jade moved forward ready to try to save what she could of Rebecca if things got worse.

"Arandi, baby." Dean soothed.

Rebecca fish mouthed. She looked ready to run, she had apparently never crossed paths with someone like Arandi. Mostly because there was no one else like Arandi. "You're right. Everyone else already thinks that Zach is guilty. I'm sorry. So very sorry."

Dean pulled Arandi back a little more. "Let's go get some air."

Arandi glared at Rebecca until they were out of sight.

"You forgot all the stories I told you about big sis?" Jade snickered with relief.

"I thought you might have exaggerated a bit."

"Honey, I actually mellowed them up a bit."

Rebecca took a stuttered breath. "I won't forget that ever again."

"Not if you value your appearance and your ability to walk without assistance." Sam chuckled as he shook his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned back against the rock wall on the veranda of the fancy house where Rebecca's parents lived. He watched Arandi pace like a caged tiger.

"Honestly, this is the kind of friends Sam and Jade have made? Snotty, I can't dirty my hands, what is Wal-Mart, rich brats?"

Dean shrugged. "Stanford ain't exactly a community college."

"Jade ever acts like that and I will…..." She growled.

"I think she knows since you basically scared the snot out of Rebecca."

"I didn't even touch her."

"You're gorgeous when you're furious."

"Yeah, well if she pulls that shit again I'm going to win Miss Universe."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Sam talked to neighbors' just blocks from where Zach's girlfriend had died. It had happened again. A man claiming that he was in another state when his wife had been killed was being led away in handcuffs. Video showed him coming home within an hour of his wife's death.

"The video shows them entering but not leaving." Sam huffed as he Dean searched the back of the building. "No one is seen leaving actually so even if it changed appearance where is it going?" Sam touched a smear of blood on a wooden fence. "Seems pretty fresh."

Dean turned in a circle trying to spot anything that would give them a clue. He stepped back and looked down as he felt a burst of air go up his jeans. More blood on the cover of a man hole.

The brothers exchanged looks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We may have found its lair." Dean was telling Arandi on the phone. "Yeah, we found some gross looking shedding all blood, skin, and goo with nails and ears and crap. So it has to shed to change appearance. We're going to check it out, you and Jade stay close to Rebecca. Love you too."

The brothers walked slowly through the corridors trying to breathe through the stench. Flashlight in one hand, gun in the other.

"I think we're getting close." Dean grimaced.

Sam turned to find another pile of shedding too close to his face and he jumped back. His flashlight swinging just in time to catch the glimmering eyes of the shifter.

"Dean!" Sam yelled but his brother was already being tossed against the wall while Sam fired off three shots.

The shifter disappeared around a corner.

Sam helped Dean to his feet as Dean grimaced and favored his left shoulder. "Go get him!"

Sam took off and Dean followed a little slower and mad as hell at himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam moaned loudly. He opened his eyes as pain flared through his neck and back. He couldn't see anything and soon realized that he was covered with a tarp.

He wriggled around grunting in pain and discomfort until the tarp slipped enough for him to see.

His memory clicked into place as he saw his brother moving around stuffing things into a duffle. Only it wasn't his brother, it was the shifter.

Somehow the shifter had gotten the jump on Dean while they were looking for him and then Sam had figured out a moment too late that the person standing next to him wasn't his brother.

Sam had pulled his gun fast enough but even standing there completely sure that the taunting jerk telling him to go ahead and kill his brother wasn't Dean. He couldn't do it, he could not in any way harm something that looked exactly like big brother.

It could cost them dearly someday if that day wasn't today.

"Where's my brother?" Sam asked groggily as tried to loosen the ropes that held his wrists together.

"I'm right here." The shifter sneered. "All in the beautiful flesh." He crouched in front of Sam. "I think I'm going to enjoy being Dean. Those three beautiful women waiting for him to…...well you get the picture."

The shifter stood and back handed Sam solidly.

"You should have appreciated your brother more he made so many sacrifices for you without so much as a thank you from your ungrateful ass."

Sam skin crawled. The thing was talking about Dean in the past tense.

"You don't think he wanted to stop hunting, go to college, have a career?"

"Dean could have all that if he wanted."

The shifter scoffed. "You really are that blind. Well, Sammy, I'm going to go take care of some needy women. I'll bring you all of the details and let you stew in them before I kill you too."

Sam fell into blackness as the shifter hit him again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam jerked awake. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed and could only pray he wasn't too late.

Somewhere behind him he heard a low pained groan.

"Dean?"

"Sam, that better be you?"

"Dean, oh thank God I thought he killed you."

"Fucker can't break the connection until he downloads everything."

"He went after the women."

"Son of a bitch." Dean growled and somehow the ropes finally gave way. Dizzy and nauseated he made his way to Sam and cut through the ropes with the small knife he had had hidden in the waist band of his jeans. "Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi, Jade, and Rebecca sat on the sofa drinking a beer and snacking on some pretzels as they waited for news from the men.

"It's been awhile." Rebecca stood up nervously.

"I know." Jade replied. "We can't risk calling them and giving them away."

A loud scraping and thud came from the front door.

Arandi stood up putting both other women behind her as she pulled her gun.

She moved towards the door and threw it open.

Dean lay back against the wall breathing hard. Bruised and bloody.

"Baby, get away from them. One of them is the shifter." He moaned.

Arandi turned to look at Jade and Rebecca just long enough for her legs to be swept out from under her and then Dean had Jade from behind, long dagger at her artery.

"One stupid move and she's redecorating the living room."

Arandi stood up. She could take the shot but it was a big risk to her sister.

The shifter moved the dagger slightly. Jade grimaced and a streak of blood appeared.

The shifter licked it slowly not taking his eyes off of Arandi. "You know he thought about fucking your sister before."

"Yeah? And I thought about taking your heart and shoving it down your throat while it's still beating." It pissed her off that this thing looked like Dean.

"Dirty talk, I like." The shifter sneered. "Why don't you let me show you how it's really done?"

"Only if you let me show you that silver does the body good."

Sam came out of nowhere tackling the shifter and Jade to the floor. Arandi pulled her dazed sister out of the way and pushed her to take Rebecca and get to safety.

Arandi aimed her gun but couldn't get the shot she needed without shooting Sam too.

The two fought punch for punch and the shifter with all of Dean's thoughts knew all of Sam's weaknesses. Sam flew into a book shelf falling to the floor in a daze.

The shifter knowing Arandi was aiming threw himself through the doorway of the game room.

Arandi checked on Sam. She heard crashing and wood and glass breaking as she moved to the doorway.

The shifter was now fighting Dean. Arandi stood where she was shifting from one to the other. They were wearing identical clothes.

They fought tooth and nail. The same fighting skill set so they knew each other's every move.

One tossed the other through a set of glass doors. Then they both stood up swaying glaring at each other, blood dripping from wounds. Ready to fight to the death.

"Stand down!" Arandi yelled.

Both of them opened their mouth.

"Not a fucking word!"

Arandi swung her eyes from one to the other.

They both looked her in the same imploring way. Her heart hammered. This was her worst nightmare. Only when you love someone so much, you just knew.

She aimed her gun and pulled the trigger at the Dean on the right, three silver bullets to the heart. He flew into the wall from the force and a landed spread eagle over a chest, eyes still open staring at Arandi. By far the hardest kill of her life.

A chill went up her spine. Even knowing it wasn't Dean. Her Dean. She felt a pain in her heart.

"Umm, baby, just tell me how?" Dean whispered.

Arandi walked slowly over to the dead Dean look alike. Lifted his hand with her gun. "Shifters can't stand silver." She dropped the lifeless empty of jewelry hand.

Dean looked down at his hand where his silver wedding ring sat. Thankful he wore it more often now that he didn't work on cars regularly. Even the small band of silver would have been painful to a shifter.

He shuffled painfully over to the shifter and squatted down to look at him. He trembled again at how every detail was him all over again.

Sam stumbled in, silver dagger in hand probably seeing three of everything but he was ready to fight.

His eyes landed on the two Dean's and his brother met his eyes as he yanked his amulet free of the shifter's neck.

Flashing lights streamed in through the window.

"Fuck." All three of them said at the same time. No time to catch their breath. The front door came flying in and they made a run for it. They didn't have a choice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hundreds of miles later they sat at a picnic table at a rest area by a lake.

Arandi and Jade had already fixed up their men as best as they could.

They had all escaped the house before the police could find them and Rebecca had been left to tell the tale.

She finally called.

"I'm sorry, Sam. They are going to investigate the shifter and the ID he had on him. I couldn't tell them the truth without ending up in a padded room. They are letting Zach out since they found all kinds of evidence in the shifter's lair."

Sam couldn't meet Dean's eyes. This one no matter what Dean protested was all on little brother.

"I don't know how to repay you all. My brother is free because of you. Arandi had every right to want my head now."

"This is what we do, Becca."

"Tell her that I'm sorry, tell her that I will do what I can to not let anything happen to Dean."

"Done. Goodbye, Becca, tell Zach I wish we could have had a cold one at least."

"We'll have one for all of you."

Sam set his phone down and looked up at Jade. She was sitting across from him.

Dean sat on the same side as her and Arandi was sitting on the table crossed legged by him. He was leaning his head close to her knee as he picked at the burger he usually would devour in a few bites.

Sam opened his mouth.

"It's done, Sam, can't take any of it back." Dean said without looking at him.

Sam was ever the stubborn one. "You didn't even want to do this and now because of me…...

Dean's tired green eyes fell on his brother's just as tired hazel. "We saved lives in the end that's all that matters."

Sam nodded.

"Besides I expect breakfast in bed and foot massages for a month, bitch."

"Don't forget laundry." Arandi chipped in.

"And laundry."

"Kiss my ass, jerk." Sam grinned but if he had to he would do it all and more for what his brother had done for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean managed a couple of hours of sleep before the nightmare had him sitting up harshly, breathing hard, covered in a sheen of sweat. Every fresh injury screamed and the older ones weren't keeping quiet either.

He looked around the motel room in the dim light. Nothing there. Just the tendrils of the dream sifting away, the day on repeat except in his version Arandi killed him instead of the shifter.

"Do you really think I would have shot if I wasn't a hundred percent sure?" Arandi whispered beside him.

"I know that." Dean huffed. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"You must have some doubts?"

"I saw my wife kill my look alike, give me a break. Even I have to take a minute on that. Put yourself in my shoes."

Arandi sighed. "Ok I get it. Are you alright?"

"I feel like a human crash test dummy."

Arandi sat up with an exaggerated look of shock. She reached to lay her hand on his forehead. "You admitted to feeling bad. Maybe I did kill the wrong man."

"Very funny." He scoffed.

"Hey, you're a little warm."

"Just keep adding insult to injury why don't you? First I'm the hottest man alive and now I'm just a little warm?"

"And my husband is back in two point zero seconds."

Dean grinned sheepishly. He pulled Arandi into a slow kiss. He was hurting in a million different ways but a 'little warm' just wasn't enough to get him through the long night.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	37. BUG, LEGENDS, MONSTERS, OH MY

LEGENDS, BUGS, MONSTERS, OH MY

As much as Dean wanted to rest, the hunts just came at them one after another. He couldn't turn his back on any of them. It wasn't in his nature even if he had to crawl away from them. Which he seemed to be doing more often than not.

They took care of a hook man in a college town. The girl they saved took a liking to Sam and he floundered big time when she kissed him on the lips unexpectedly after they had saved her and her father's life.

It was funny how the other members of the team were invisible at times like that. This time it was Arandi that had to step in before her sister went primal on the girl, just trying to show her gratitude.

'Damn time it happened to someone else.' Dean thought. Hey, he only protected his little brother from the super bad. A little angst would give him character or something along those lines.

Jade made Sam sleep on the floor for a week for letting it go for longer than five seconds. It could have been worse. At least he was allowed to be in the same room.

Dean having been on the receiving end of that hornet's nest tried to sympathize with his brother but he couldn't help but poke. Also part of his nature so sue him.

The case of vengeful bugs had them on edge for another week while they checked out a housing project that was being plagued by untimely deaths. All of which in one shape or form led back to bugs.

Sam, ever the resourceful one, talked to the only son of the project leader and with Dean pieced the whole thing together.

The entire project had been built on an Indian massacre sight. The last surviving member cursing the land with his last breath.

Once they saved the business owners family they would have been fine without seeing even a fly for a long time.

Arandi ran out of a bathroom days later still lathered up and barely behind a towel when a spider appeared.

"You hunt ten foot ogres and things with fangs and claws every day." Dean muttered as he went none too happily to dispatch of the intruder.

"The things I hunt don't have eight legs and a million eyes. Just shut up and…" Arandi gave a full body shiver.

Dean was glad Arandi didn't see him shiver and cringe as he moved the spider to the open window and pushed it out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caleb called them a few days after saying that John and Jonathan had been spotted in Chicago. That didn't help much without an exact location but they went anyway. They were hunters after all.

It took them half a day to find another motel room full of information about a deserted asylum up the road where teens had been found dead.

On further research they discovered that only the night before a cop that had been investigating the asylum had gone home and killed his wife and then himself.

Dean let the guilt flow over him like always but didn't peep a word. If he'd only been there a day earlier.

Sam's impatience blew up. "They leave all these clues for cases that they don't even try to take care of, they just do all this research and disappear again. Yet they can't call home or us to let us know what the hell."

"Dad has his reasons." Dean said as he flipped through all the articles trying to find the elusive connection.

"How can you still have such blind faith in the man after everything that he's done?"

Dean rolled his eyes but kept looking through the papers. "When dad is ready to let us know he will."

"Are you serious? Mom is worried sick. We're traipsing all over the place and you are fine with this now?"

"No, I'm not fine with it but flipping out isn't going to get us any closer to finding them."

Sam glared at his brother and walked out.

"We'll get all of this together." Arandi motioned for him to follow.

Sam was now pacing furiously in the parking lot.

"Arandi and I will take care of this. You and Jade take a night off." Dean didn't want Sam along if his head wasn't going to be in the hunt a hundred and ten percent.

"No, we all do this together. There is something powerful in that asylum if it can effect someone once they leave the property."

Dean eyed his brother. Ready to put his foot down but he just sighed. "Alright then we go in tonight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was still sliver of daylight left when the four hunters jumped the fence that was supposed to deter trespassers. Signs everywhere in bold letters screamed 'do not enter', 'off limits' and every other warning out there and in different languages. Apparently no one knew how to read in any language.

Dean was sure most of the dead teens had dared one another to spend the night or whatever. The cops had been sent in there to find trespassers and Dean wondered how one officer could be affected and not the other?

They walked through aiming flashlights in every direction. Hair on the back of their necks standing up. They weren't alone that was for sure.

More than once there was movement just out of the line of sight, unexplained sounds.

"This place is orbing like a mother." Sam whispered while he held up the video camera he had brought along.

"Thanks for the insight, Haley Joel." Dean mocked.

"Shut up."

"Will you two get your head in the job?" Arandi growled through gritted teeth. She was already on edge and she just wanted the hunt over and done with.

There was a loud scraping sound and a shadow moved into another room. They all exchanged looks. Sam put the camera up and pulled out his shotgun.

Dean motioned with his shotgun for the women to fall behind and Sam to open the door.

Sam slowly pushed the door back and Dean slid in aiming the gun to every corner.

Arandi tapped his back and pointed to an overturned bed. A blond head barely peeked over.

Dean motioned to Sam again as he took aim. Sam kicked the bed aside and aimed his own shotgun.

A teenage girl gasped and skittered back against the wall terrified.

Arandi moved forward. "It's ok we're not going to hurt you. I'm Arandi, this is Dean, Jade, and Sam."

"I'm Kat." The girl replied standing slowly. "Why do you have shotguns?"

"They don't have real bullets." Arandi explained. She pulled an extra cartridge to show the girl that it was only rock salt.

Kat looked at her confused.

"It helps with the things you saw."

Kat paled. "How did you know?"

"That's why we're here. Come on we'll get you out of here." Arandi motioned for Kat to follow.

"I can't go my stupid boyfriend is in here somewhere. I need to find him so I can break up with him for considering this a date maybe punch him in the face. How bad does that rock salt hurt?"

Arandi smiled. "Come on then let's find stupid."

"What's his real name?" Dean asked.

"Gavin."

They moved from room to room until Sam spotted some sneakers sticking out from behind a room divider.

"Gavin?" Kat called.

The sneakers moved and Gavin jumped to his feet wide eyed. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Kat asked.

"That thing that kissed me. Her face was all messed up."

"Why would you kiss it?"

"I thought it was you."

"Well, thanks for that." Kat glared.

"Ok can we do Dawson's Creek some other time? Arandi and Jade you get these two out of here. Sam and I will check a bit more."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stumbled onto a bundle of files. The same doctor's name kept popping up so he called a local newspaper to ask for information while Dean poked around some more.

"Dr. Ellicott." Sam called out. "It seems that the patients rioted one night and a bunch of people died and a bunch of bodies were never found. The doctor was one of them."

Dean popped back into the room. "Can you imagine what they did to those bodies for them not to be found?" He shivered.

Sam's phone sounded and he answered. Jade's screams came over the line. "It's coming, Sam, hurry!" There was lots of static and then the line went dead and Sam started to run.

"Sam!" Dean called out trying to follow his brother. The ended up split separated. "Son of a bitch."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So how did you get into this line of work?" Kat asked Arandi as they walked slowly back towards the entrance.

"Kind of the family business."

"Or lousy guidance counselors." Jade huffed. She was none too happy to be pushed aside again.

"Who would want to do this for a living?" Gavin snickered. He stopped walking and took two or three steps back when the sisters sent a glare his way. "What I meant was…..."

"You still want to fill him full of rock salt?" Arandi growled and passed a shot gun to Kat.

She took it.

"You don't even know how to use that." Gavin chuckled.

Kat cocked the gun with ease and aimed it at him. "My dad takes me skeet shooting every now and then. I didn't miss once last time I was there. Imagine the size difference."

Gavin fished mouthed for a minute shifting from one leg to the other unsure whether he should cut and run or beg for mercy.

He was never more relieved than when the three women burst into laughter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jade?" Sam called out as he came around a corner.

"Only I can help you now."

Sam turned and gasped. A man with a deformed face grabbed Sam's face and he felt like an electric current zapped through his head.

Sam saw the name tag. Dr. Ellicott before he felt like he was falling down a rabbit hole.

"I'll make you all better."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean found Arandi and Jade and the kids. Jade nearly blew him away with the shotgun salt rounds. The cement wall where he had stood full of missing chunks.

"Jade, what the fuck?" Dean clamored from where he crouched on the floor.

"Sorry, it's just this place is super creepy. Where's Sam?"

"He took off hauling ass when you called him."

"I never called him."

"Son of a bitch." Dean groused. "Why are you still here anyway?"

"We're trapped in here. We haven't been able to find a way out." Arandi replied.

"I'm going back to find Sam you stay here."

Arandi made to protest.

"Please."

She rolled her eyes but leaned back against the wall with a huff.

"Thank you." Dean turned knowing that was going to cost him later and rushed back the way he had come.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean poked and opened a million different drawers hoping to find a clue to where the bodies could be hidden. He couldn't afford to let anything slip by. It was the only way he could think to get Sam back.

He was about to walk out of the room he was presently in when he noticed a piece of missing panel on the wall. He reached for it and the whole thing came away. He found a journal and a pile of files.

He scanned over them as fast as he could. The things he read making his skin crawl.

"What you got there?"

Dean spun around shotgun aimed. "Damn it, Sam, what the hell? Where were you?"

"I got all turned around in this place. Hey we should really get out of here."

"Can't do that. Not until we find Ellicott's body."

"If the cops couldn't find it what makes you think we can?" Sam growled angrily.

"What's with you? You know damn well we are better at finding and hiding dead bodies than any cop will ever be."

Dean grabbed his duffle and started walking into the next room. "There's a secret room somewhere. The good doctor was performing secret experiments on his patients. He was trying to use their anger to help them but it back fired on him."

"I really think we should go." Sam said evenly behind Dean.

"Already told you we can't do that. The doors and windows are locked up tight." Dean leaned in when he saw the slightest stir of dust against the floor and he heard the slight whistle of a breeze. "Found it." He said triumphantly.

"Get away from the door, Dean."

"Sam, I don't know what you're…" Dean stopped as he turned to face his brother's shotgun pointed at him. He stiffened up. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"That Ellicott got to you."

"I'm thinking for myself for once."

"Put the gun down, Sam."

"Is that an order?"

"More like a friendly request."

Sam wiped blood dripping from his nose with the back of hand. "You don't know shit. If you're not being bossed around by dad or Arandi you're lost. Fucking mindless soldier is all you are."

"Sam…."

"For once just shut the fuck up."

"Or what, Sam, you're going to shoot me? You and I both know that rock salt won't kill me."

Dean really didn't expect Sam to pull the trigger. The blast of rock salt pellets tore into his chest even through the layers of shirts he wore. The impact sent him flying back through the wooden wall and hidden door. He felt the splinters tearing into his back and even his thighs. He hit the concrete floor the back of his head connecting soundly.

He kicked his legs trying to stay conscious but it was no use. As he slipped away he heard Sam's mocking voice. "No, but it will hurt like hell."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean gasped for air when he started to come around. His brother had shot him. Plain out shot him under a ghosts control or not it really did fucking hurt like hell.

"Fuck." He mumbled as his vision faded in and out. His chest had taken one beating after another and he'd barely begin to heal and now more damage.

He looked to see Sam hovering over him. The crazy look still in his eyes.

Still he tried to get through to his brother. "We got to find Ellicott's bones and burn them so you can go back to normal."

Sam huffed angrily. "I am normal. I'm just telling the truth for the first time. I mean why are we even here? You have to follow dad's trail like good little soldier. You're that desperate for his approval?"

"This isn't you talking, Sam."

"That's the difference between me and you. I've got a mind of my own I'm not pathetic like you."

"That's why you scurry like a beat dog when Jade says jump?" Dean knew better than to poke an angry grizzly but hey he wasn't exactly in a hugging mood at the moment.

Sam aimed the shotgun at his face.

Dean didn't flinch. He looked straight at Sam. "That's not going to do it." He pulled his silver Smith and Wesson from his jacket and handed it to his brother.

"If you think that you can kill your very own brother then do it pull the fucking trigger?" Dean yelled. "Do it!"

Dean watched the gun come up and he watched Sam's face begin to smile. He was really going to die at the hands of his brother.

He stared into Sam's eyes and watched the blood drip from his nose.

He heard the gun fire and waited to die.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	38. HEARTFELT

HEARTFELT

Sam crumpled to the floor as the old overhead lights fell and knocked him out. Dean looked around and Arandi stepped into sight. The look on her face told him that she had heard him tell Sam to pull the trigger.

She picked up Dean's gun and checked it. She looked at him sadly when she found it loaded.

"I didn't think he would do it." He defended.

"By the looks of it if he could blast you with the fucking shotgun this was going to be pie to him."

Dean struggled to his feet. Pain searing through his chest and his head spinning but they still had work to do.

Sam pushed at the light on top of him trying to stand and Dean punched him knocking him out again. He picked up his duffle.

He didn't meet Arandi's eyes. He wouldn't be able to stand the anger or sadness behind them right now. Anger that probably had Ellicott itching to work his insanity against. Dean stumbled forward. He had to find the bones and end it.

He could tell Arandi that he had been under the ghost's influence also. She might buy it since she hadn't actually seen the files. He stopped walking when he saw a tuft of hair sticking out of a cabinet. He was doing great when he was thinking about lying to his wife.

He dropped to his knees and pulled the door open. He gagged when the stench of trapped body gasses hit him in the face. He didn't hesitate another second shaking salt all over the body and squirting a whole bottle of lighter fluid. He wanted this bastard to burn hot.

He was about to fling the Zippo when he heard Arandi gasp and she fell on top of him heavily. They both tumbled to the floor.

Dean opened his mouth and suddenly Ellicott appeared over them one hand on each of their temples.

Dean felt the current zapping through him. He could feel Arandi seizing beside him a blue current shooting through their heads.

"I'll make you all better." The ghost said calmly.

Dean felt his anger surge forward. He could just image how much disaster he could create if his inner turmoil was ever truly let loose.

Arandi wasn't exactly going to win Miss Congeniality.

There was just one thing the ghost didn't realize, all of Dean's anger was directed at him in that moment. Dean reached for the Zippo until his fingers closed around it, he flicked it and tossed it.

He watched as Ellicott caught on that he had pushed the anger out of the wrong person. He stared at Dean in shock even as he sparked up and vanished once and for all.

Dean fell back breathing hard. His vision full of black spots. Arandi had passed out.

He heard Sam beginning to stir again. He looked over to see Sam's confused eyes looking at him as he held his sore jaw.

"You're not gonna try to kill me are you?"

"No."

"Good because that would be awkward."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean could play the macho card to the fullest when he had to so even though Sam didn't have a chest full of rock salt. Dean was still the one that carried Arandi out of the place.

With Ellicott burned away, the other spirits were able to rest and the doors were all wide open now.

Dean settled Arandi into the passenger seat. She was coming around by then.

"You guys watch horror movies?" He asked Kat and Gavin. Doing his damnedest to not show how awful he felt.

"Yeah." Kat replied.

"Do me a favor next time they tell you a place is haunted, don't go in."

Kat and Gavin smiled. "Thanks for everything." They walked to their car and drove away. For them that was it. They would file it away and go on with their lives.

Dean could feel Sam's eyes on him. He bit back the urge to scream for his brother to just leave him the fuck alone.

"Dean, you know I didn't mean any of that."

"Oh you remember all that."

"Do we…."

Dean lifted his hand. "Not in the mood for sharing and caring." He got in the car and gave Sam just enough time to get in before he zoomed away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Getting to their motel seemed to take hours. Dean knew he probably should have let Jade drive since she was the only one that hadn't been zapped or shot but he could be stubborn that way.

He parked with a jolt of brakes and stumbled out of the car. He forced himself to get the duffels and gritted his teeth the entire time. He was so very glad that they had gotten their rooms before the hunt.

Sam was standing by waiting to talk and Dean just couldn't handle that.

"Dean, this isn't something we can just let slide."

"Sam, if you don't remember I have a chest full of rock salt and a knot on the back of my head the size of a baseball. Your touchy feely 'let's make everything better with a hug' crap is going to have to wait for another day." Dean walked to his room with Arandi in front of him and slammed the door.

Sam stared at the door half tempted to push it but Dean was right, Sam knew Dean was hurting badly and not just physically. He had shot his brother without an ounce of remorse when he was under Ellicott's control and if not for Arandi he was going to shoot his brother in the head.

Bile rose up in his throat and he heaved everything up until he had nothing left. He felt Jade's reassuring touch on his back. She led him to their room and he prayed they could fix somehow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean cursed when he realized that pieces of his t-shirt were stuck to the wounds on his chest.

He had no idea how he even made the drive without screaming. Sitting had pressed splinters deeper than they already were. His head was going to explode, he was so ready to throw up, and then there was Arandi who hadn't said a word to him since.

He sat on the very tip of the closed toilet seat wondering where to begin when she came in to the bathroom. He had come pretty close to just crawling into a corner and curling up.

Quietly but with sure hands she began to take care of his wounds as gently as she could. Getting the bits of t-shirt loose from his chest burned like fire and Dean bit his lip bloody.

She helped him stand and he leaned with hands against the wall while she worked his jeans down. Getting the larger splinters as she went.

Once she had him naked she found all the splinters in his back and thighs, a few on the back of his arms. Thankfully most of them came loose with the removal of his clothes.

She turned the hot water on in the shower and stripped down herself. She led him under the water. The blessed feeling of sweat and dried blood swirling away as he leaned back against the wall because his legs were shaking like mad.

She cleaned his chest with a wash cloth and antiseptic soap until Dean was sure all the salt was gone and he wasn't going to pass out. He had a high tolerance for pain but damn.

She went over his entire body again making sure she didn't miss anything.

Then she washed his hair, minded his sore head and more blood swirled away. She washed him entirely before given herself a quick wash and rinse.

Dean didn't have it in him to help. She knew that, he hoped. A wide black bruise was on her back where she connected with Dean and then the floor but otherwise she seemed fine. Expect for the silence.

Out of the shower she dried them up and helped Dean into boxers. He could barely keep his eyes open. She slipped into a t-shirt and shorts. She led him to the bed.

"I can't give you anything for pain because of your head." She spoke finally. "I'll wake you in a couple of hours."

"Arandi…" Dean said tiredly.

"Not in the mood to share and care either."

Dean looked at her until his eyes refused to stay open.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi stood over Dean and watched him sleep. She was so tired but wide awake at the same time.

Dean couldn't even sleep peacefully. He flinched and moaned. She wiped the single tear that slipped down his face. What the hell had Dean been thinking?

She wanted to believe that Ellicott had influenced Dean too. It still didn't change the fact that if she hadn't decided to not listen to her husband he would be dead.

The thought made her nauseas. She started to wake Dean from his restless sleep but she changed her mind. If he was moving around he would be fine.

She rummaged through Dean's duffle bag trying to find something to help her sleep. She found a brand new bottle of whiskey. A glass or two would help her fine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sometime during his sleep Dean tried to turn over on his stomach. Intense burning pain flowing through his chest reminded him why that wasn't a good idea.

He could tell some time had gone by and that Arandi had failed to wake him. He then realized that she wasn't next to him and a quick glance of the room told him she wasn't there.

He got up groaning. Every ache and pain screaming at him full volume. The room spun, his stomach surged, and his head kept rhythm with his heart.

It took him longer than he cared to admit to slip on some pajama bottoms and he quickly decided against a t-shirt. If anyone was outside at this hour they would just have to deal.

A quick scan of the parking lot showed him nothing and peeking into Sam and Jade's room through a small slit in the curtains showed nothing but dark.

She could still be in there but he doubted it.

The Impala hadn't been moved. He heard something scatter and come off the roof. He looked up and there was Arandi sitting up on a ledge at least two stories up. She had his large bottle of whiskey between her legs.

Dean moved as fast as he could to find where she had climbed up and he found the ladder that was pressed against the side of the building. He went up even as every bit of his body protested.

He didn't want to spook her. "Hey, baby, what are you doing?"

Arandi brought up the bottle in one hand his Smith and Wesson in the other. One look told him that she had polished off over half the bottle. "You told him to shoot." She slurred. "He was going to kill you and you were going to let him."

"I wasn't thinking, baby, I was…" Dean stopped moving his heart in his throat as Arandi cocked the gun and put it to her temple. "Arandi, don't…."

"Why not, Dean? Give me a good reason."

"Because I love you and I need you." He pushed out of his frozen lungs.

"Really? Because I love you and I need you too and you were ready to leave me behind."

"Arandi, you do this and I'm two seconds behind you. I swear." He said past the knot in his throat. Tears slid down his face. There was no pain in existence like this one.

That seemed to bring her around. She uncocked the gun and set it beside her. She stood up unsteady and moved towards him. "Don't cry." She said even as her own tears started to flow. "Please don't cry." She cupped his face.

Dean shook his head unable to say anything. He wrapped his arms around her. The pains of his injuries pushed back. He wasn't letting her go. No damn way was he letting her go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After two near falls he finally got her off the roof. It had been like a dance to get her back to where the gun was to retrieve it and then getting back to the ladder.

He was in so much pain he was sweating and seeing stars. He locked the door and set up a booby trap that would make a hell of racket if she tried to leave again.

He did the same to the bathroom window just in case while she threw up and he helped her clean up. He led her to the bed and got her under the covers. He stared at the pain meds. He really needed them.

He had the solution. He took the pills and let them take him under.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi's head pounded with every heartbeat. 'Someone shoot me.' She thought and a flash of memory made her sit up. Her arm yanked back painfully.

She nearly laughed. Dean had handcuffed her to him but then panic set in too. She had put a gun to her own head in front of Dean. Like he didn't have enough fucking crap to deal with.

But she couldn't forget how he had urged Sam to shoot him and Sam would have if she hadn't shown up when she did.

She tried to tell herself that it was just the situation. That Dean had been effected by Ellicott just being there.

Then she could blame her stupidity from last night on Ellicott too. Right now though she needed to empty her bladder because her back teeth were swimming.

She looked around and Dean had meticulously hidden everything that she could possibly use to open the handcuffs. He had even put the lamp out of her reach.

She had no choice but to wake him.

One touch told her that he was burning up. "Dean." She shook him. No response. "Dean, baby, I need to use the bathroom." Nothing.

It was then Dean's phone sounded. He didn't even stir. She reached for it and seeing John's name on the caller ID she quickly answered.

"Pops?"

"Arandi, where's Dean?"

"He took a blast of rock salt to the chest and is out of it right now. Very long story."

"Sweetie, I need you to hear me out. Your dad and I are on the demon's trail. That's why we haven't gone home. Please tell Dean and Sam to back off a bit. We need you guys to stay safe. Once we establish things on our side we will bring you all in."

"Where's my dad?" Arandi asked.

There was some whispering and then Jonathan came on the line. "Baby girl, it is so good to hear your voice."

"You too dad, mom, really is worried and misses you."

"I know, Arandi, but we stumbled onto some information that has us right on the demons tail without his knowing apparently. If we can get to it before it makes its move on Sam or Dean for that matter, we can finally live in peace. Tell your mom I miss her and love her and just a bit more time before we see you all again. John says to tell Mary the same. We love you all." With that the line went dead.

Arandi sat for a moment letting the relief of knowing their dads were ok sink in but that still didn't help her bladder.

She dialed Sam and explained her situation. Leaving out for the time being why she was handcuffed to her husband.

She had forgotten about Dean's craftiness and winced as Sam opened the door and all kinds of stuff crashed to the floor loudly.

Dean sat up then groaned in pain and made a mad dash for the bathroom and dragged Arandi with him.

Arandi peed in the tub while Dean's insides made their acquaintance with the toilet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam's eyes kept roaming to Dean's chest as his brother leaned back on a pile of pillows against the headboard.

It looked so painful and then he'd meet Dean's glare and looked away.

Arandi filled them in on the phone call. She hoped it would perk Dean up somewhat.

He drank a bottle of water and refused to eat. Every move he tried to make was painful.

Sam hadn't figured out the splinters until Arandi pointed it out. Which made him feel shittier than he already did.

Still he tried. "So what do we do now? Are we really backing off?"

"That's what they want us to do." Dean glared harder.

"The demon is after me so I want in I warned him to not interfere with my friends or family."

Dean huffed unbelievingly. "You don't know what demon killed your friends. FYI there are more than one and dad said we would be in when they found out everything. We can't just go running in head first and get them and all of us killed."

Sam was supposed to be making nice with Dean not pissing him off more. "Yeah, I guess." He bit off everything else. "So do I want to know why Arandi was on lock down?"

The look on Dean's face said that wasn't a good subject either so Sam decided to just go back to his room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later Dean got coordinates on his phone. Still feeling a bit off, they had stayed put, to rest and recuperate. There was no choice when Dean knew he wasn't ready. His admitting that was a testament of how bad he felt.

Passing the news about their dads to their moms had been hard because both women were on the verge of going off on their own.

Arandi was getting them lunch at a diner across the road so he quickly booted up the computer and did some quick research on the coordinates and what might be going on in the area.

He wasn't going to tell anyone that he'd gotten the coordinates. He was just going to go with the 'guess what I found?' He deleted the message from his phone and waited for Arandi to return.

He knew that he couldn't keep up the curt speeches with Sam and that he and Arandi were going to have to talk about the other night. His head ached just thinking about it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean should have known that his brother was going to act like a pissy little bitch when he brought up the hunt.

He was bound and determined to look for their dad's even though they had been specifically told not to do anything but wait and keep saving people.

"You're a selfish bastard you know that?" Dean growled at Sam pulling back the urge to knock him on his ass. "I'll leave your ass here."

"That's what I want you to do." Sam said with a smirk.

Arandi looked at Jade who shrugged. They both followed their husbands regardless of how sometimes they thought they were just stubborn dumb asses.

Arandi got in the car and Dean was right behind her. He spun tires out of the motel parking lot.

Sam and Jade watched them leave and then moved on to find a car they could hot wire.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Whatever it is takes couples. That of which we are." Arandi stated as she went over the papers Dean had printed.

"Yeah, I just need to find a car to hot wire and we can go in."

"Why do you need to hot wire a car?"

"You don't actually think I will let some nutcase get under the hood of my baby?" Dean said appalled.

"Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Impala hidden away. Dean found the perfect car that probably wouldn't be looked for, for a while.

The house looked like no one was home, given away by the piled up newspaper and the SUV sat with a for sale sign.

Dean wired it up and they headed to find a motel room.

"So what time you think is a good time to happen into town?" Arandi asked.

"Around dinner time or a bit before. All the missing couples were last heard from around that time."

Arandi nodded. They had a few hours to kill. She stood up wondering what to do then suddenly Dean was behind her arms wrapped around her like a lifeline.

"I don't know what to say to make things better." He whispered in her ear. "I don't know why I told Sam to pull the trigger but seeing you with that gun to your head just about finished me."

"You said you would be two seconds behind me."

"I couldn't even begin to face that I had pushed you to that. That you stopped breathing because of me."

Arandi spun to face him. "Someday we are going to die. One of us has to go first. I doubt karma will let us go together. I want you to promise me you won't do anything stupid if I go first."

Dean stared into her eyes. "Define stupid."

Arandi shook her head as she put her forehead to his. "Deals, spells, crossroads, crap like that and especially offing yourself."

"I…."

"Dean."

"I promise but only if you promise the same."

"Deal." She smiled.

"That's just rude." He smiled back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Faking the smiles was the hardest thing to do. The fake syrupy insincerity from the people of the town was nauseating. They filled them with food, bullshit stories, and a rigged up car to break down just within reach of their death.

How did these people live with themselves? Sending innocent people to their deaths for good crops? Really?

It was taking everything Dean had not to just shoot them all and let God sort them out.

They had managed to hide weapons in the doors of the SUV so they drove away with fake 'have a safe trip' ringing in their ears.

Weren't they going to be surprised?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stared at his phone, finger hovering over Dean's number. Ok so he had fucked up…again. Dean had been right; they shouldn't risk putting their fathers' in danger until they knew what was going on.

Sam hit dial and Dean picked up on the first ring.

A few minutes later Dean had filled him in on everything and that with a bit of fast research they had figured out that it was some pagan god that these towns' people were feeding in cycles.

Sam smiled. His brother was yammering away, about to be in mortal danger but he sounded happy, in his element.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, Dean."

"I hope you know that all my bitching and moaning…...well you know I…..."

"Me too, Dean. So hey, pretty good research skills."

"Without my geek college nerd brother. Arandi takes over. Just so you know little brother, she's much sexier than you."

"You break my heart."

"I hope you know that I've always been proud of you."

Sam felt suddenly alarmed. "Dean?"

"The way you stand up to dad."

"Dean, maybe you should wait until…"

"Sam, call me when you find dad."

The line went dead. Sam stood up where he was eating and looked for Jade she was talking and laughing with a short haired blonde.

"Jade, we got to go."

"Hey, babe, this is Meg. She needs a ride and I told her we could get her at least a hundred miles up the road."

Sam smiled. "Make that fifty, change of plans."

"I'll take what I get off my feet." Meg laughed cheerfully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Over here you fugly, son of a bitch!" Dean yelled trying to get the killer scarecrow to follow him and not Arandi.

Killer scarecrow. Only in their lives.

Dean zig zagged through the trees. Sparks filled his head and a rifle connected with his face and he went down hard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke up. The first thing he realized was that his hands were bound over his head.

He turned his head when he heard someone struggling nearby sure he was going to find Arandi but instead it was the girl they had seen earlier at the garage where their car had been 'fixed.'

"Emily?" Dean asked.

"My aunt and uncle, they brought me out here and tied me up with you because they couldn't find your wife." Emily cried.

"Their sacrificing their own niece?" Dean spat unbelievingly.

"It's for the greater good." Emily's aunt appeared in sight.

"She's your family, your blood."

"We have to think of the town and everyone."

Emily's uncle appeared beside his wife. "I'm really sorry, Emily."

Other town's people appeared including the sheriff. Dean recognized the gun that had made him see stars.

"You're supposed to obtain the law." Dean accused.

"I haven't killed anyone." The sheriff muttered.

"You have more blood on your hands than you will ever admit to."

Suddenly the sheriff crumpled to the ground. "Put down your guns now." Sam growled his gun aimed at the nearest person.

Jade close by him with her gun trained too.

"Sammy, I've never been so glad to see you." Dean laughed.

"You can't do this. The scarecrow has to have a sacrifice or we all die." Emily's aunt cried.

"He just needs a man and a woman." Sam grinned wickedly. "Any man and woman."

Emily's uncle cried out as a scythe sliced through him and the scarecrow grabbed the hysterically screaming aunt and dragged them both away.

The rest of the people had scattered in fear while Sam worked to untie Dean and Emily.

"Where's Arandi?" Jade asked.

"I was hoping you would know."

There was a horrid scream of something not natural and flames shot up high into the sky across the orchard.

Dean laughed. "That's my girl." Somehow he knew that Arandi had figured out how to kill the scarecrow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat on the edge of the motel bed with an ice pack to his jaw. He was tempted to start keeping a list of all his injuries, it might come in handy once he couldn't remember shit from all the concussions.

Sam walked in and sat beside him. "The girls are making sure that Emily gets on the next bus out of town to some other family in Boston."

"That's good." Dean sighed. "Hopefully they won't sacrifice her to some pagan god."

"I still can't believe these people didn't see anything wrong with what they were doing."

"Some people have a backwards sense of right from wrong."

"That's a little more than backwards."

"Why did you come back?"

"Is that you're way of saying thank you?"

Dean only eyed him.

"Look, I let my temper get the best of me and you're right, putting our dads in more danger than they already are would be selfish. Besides my big brother needed saving for once."

"Whatever, dude, I had a plan."

"Sure you did."

"I am supposed to hug you now?"

"Would it kill you?

"Can't risk it, bitch."

"Bite me, jerk."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	39. TILL DEATH DO US PART

TILL DEATH DO US PART

It comes with the territory of being a hunter. You live with the knowledge that any given hunt could be the last. Dean always knew that he was going to go out of this world in the middle of a hunt. It was signed in blood somewhere he was sure.

He just didn't figure it was going to be a heart attack that cut his strides short. A real heart attack not the many he thought he was having during amazing sex or unexpected situations in a hunt.

Granted it wasn't because he wasn't healthy. Frying a rawhead extra crispy just happened to come with consequences when they both happened to be in a puddle of water with a hundred thousand volts coursing through the monster's body and then straight into Dean.

It was what happened when he just wanted the damn thing dead. Wanted to get the kids to safety. Wanted to get Arandi into bed and sleep for a week.

Dean felt every nerve seize, his joints popping as his body took the torrent of electricity. His teeth clenched so hard some were bound to crack.

He could do nothing but take the onslaught. Pained groans filling the basement. Salvation just a few feet away.

The rawhead fell dead and Dean still felt the current moving through him. Everyone was going to freak. Arandi, Sam, everyone.

He squeaked a breath. The current finally ebbing. He couldn't breathe. His chest convulsed and his eyes rolled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam ran down the steps of the basement. It was eerily quiet now.

Arandi and Jade had the kids they had found safely in the Impala so he just needed to help Dean kill the….

Sam stopped, his breath caught in his throat. The rawhead lay dead and not too far from it Dean lay slumped against a wall in a puddle of water, the Taser still clutched in his hand.

"Dean?" Sam breathed in a panic. His brother wasn't moving and he looked so pale. "Dean!" He finally made his body move and he rushed to him.

'Not again. Not again. Not again.' Sam repeated in a mantra in his mind.

All his training seemed to short circuit and all he wanted to do was feel Dean's pulse, feel his chest rise and fall. He grabbed his brother's face a bit too roughly and called his name over and over as if that was a medical way of saving Dean. His brother's head lolled from one side to the other.

He tapped his face, willing Dean to just open his eyes and say. "I fried that fucker extra crispy." But he didn't move because Dean wasn't breathing.

"Fuck, fuck." Sam mumbled. He carefully lifted Dean over his shoulder and rushed up the stairs. The heft of his brother's dead weight not registering at all in his panic.

He broke past the thrown open basement doors and gently lay Dean on the ground. He pulled the Taser free.

He heard the creak of the Impala door and Arandi rushed to them.

"Dean?" She said taking his hand. "What happened?" She asked Sam.

"I think he got electrocuted."

"Sam, he's not breathing!"

Sam nodded, he took a breath and let his training kick in to high gear. Arandi settled in beside him. They performed CPR for what seemed like an eternity but was only moments.

Sirens came close and Sam knew that Jade had called 911. He could hear kids crying and the blessed sound of his brother taking a stuttered breath.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Trained liars. That's was another title they held.

The lies flowed off of Sam's tongue about how they had taken a short cut and heard kids screaming for help. The cops bought it.

Or maybe they just felt sorry for them because Dean was dying.

Dying because he had helped children avoid a horrible death. Dying the hero, he deserved to be but not yet, it was too soon, Dean still had to have a family. He hadn't even started a bucket list.

Sam's own heart ached. He pulled out the best of his puppy dog arsenal.

He wasn't going to let Dean die and neither would Arandi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi paced the hospital hallway. One second she was terrified, the next she was pissed, the next she just wanted to wake up.

This was a living nightmare. Dean fighting to breathe. Cringing in pain from the slightest movement. He was alive though and she intended to keep it that way.

They had to run so many tests and Jade was there for her but it wasn't enough.

She took out her phone and dialed. Mary's voice came on the line and Arandi burst into tears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi stood at the foot of Dean's hospital bed. He was awake flipping through channels.

He looked so pale and fragile. It was taking everything she had not to openly sob.

Sam walked in looking pale himself. He had been talking to the doctor. Getting the same dumping of bad news that she and Dean had already heard.

If Dean survived two weeks, they were counting it as a win. His heart damaged beyond repair from the electricity induced heart attack.

Sam looked at Arandi and then moved closer to his brother.

"Have you ever actually watched daytime TV? It's terrible." Dean said rather weakly.

"I talked to your doctor." Sam replied.

"That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm so gonna hunt that little bitch down."

"Dean."

Dean met his brother's eyes. He clicked the TV off. "Looks like you're leaving town without me."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"I'll let you take baby but I will haunt you if anything happens to her."

"I don't think that's funny."

"It's little funny." Dean smiled weakly.

Arandi took a deep stuttered breath and tears slid from her eyes. Dean was really trying to make them feel better, only he wasn't.

"Arandi, Sam, we all knew that this could happen. It's a dangerous gig. Arandi you promised."

"I promised not to do anything stupid to bring you back from the dead. You're still alive and I'll be damned if Sam or I will give up that easily." She headed for the door. She didn't want to upset Dean.

She stopped in her tracks.

Mary Winchester walked in with Beth Remington at her heels. Jade close behind.

Everyone stared at them.

"She broke every traffic law between here and home when she got the call." Beth breathed.

"Mom." Dean coughed.

"I don't want to hear it, baby, I made some calls and we're getting you out of here and to help."

"What kind of help?" Dean and Sam said at the same time.

"You'll see when we get there." Mary said sternly.

Dean hadn't seen that look since he had cut all of her prize roses to give to Arandi when he was twelve.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just the moment it took to stand and have Arandi help him into his jeans and he was breathless. He sat back on the edge of the bed staring at his bare feet. His heart hammering like mad, his vision sparking at the edges.

He couldn't look at Arandi right now. She looked so tired and sad. All because of him.

"Arandi…."

"Don't ok. I'm your wife and this comes with that title. So don't you dare feel sorry for yourself because you can't put your jeans or your shoes on by yourself."

Dean could hear the tears in her voice. He didn't deserve this woman.

"Someday I expect you to shave my legs when I'm the size of a house."

He wasn't going to dash anymore hopes. "I will shave your legs, make you disgusting snacks that you crave, rub your back, and sing to you."

Their eyes met. "Thank you." She said with a slight smile.

He shrugged. He couldn't give up hope yet. Not when he had so much to lose.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean slept the entire trip, curled up with his head on Arandi's lap.

His mom was determined to make the trip in one go. She had rented a luxury SUV so that Dean could be warm and comfortable while Sam and Jade followed in the Impala.

When Arandi woke him and he felt the stir of chilly air and the zing of cold rain hitting him from the open car door, he began to shiver uncontrollably.

It made him mad. "Couldn't let me die in peace." He muttered.

"Couldn't let you die at all." His mom said suddenly in his face as they helped him from the SUV.

Dean snuggled deep into the gray hoodie he wore. Really glad that it was a larger size. He stuffed his hands in the pockets and leaned back against SUV to catch his breath. His chest aching badly.

He looked around and saw a whole bunch of people milling around that looked worse off than he did. His eyes fell on a large sign.

"Faith healer, mom?" He groaned.

"Most of them are fake, Dean, but this one, this one has healed people. Jefferson has been keeping a file on him."

The large sign screamed the name of Roy LeGrange.

"I don't think dad would approve."

"Well your dad isn't here to put in his two cents." Mary snapped.

Arandi slid in against him. Her arms around his waist. "Please, just try it."

Dean sighed loudly. "Fine but when it doesn't work…..." He snapped his mouth shut at the glare from his mom. He had after all perfected his own from experience. He leaned against Arandi. "Let's get this show on the road."

Dean tried to hide the fact the weather was really getting to him and he had to stop more than once on the walk to the huge tent. Face planting wouldn't exactly make his day.

He tripped up and bumped into two women in front of him as Arandi steadied him.

"Sorry." He said shyly. He took a deep breath.

The older woman looked at him disapprovingly. The younger woman smiled brightly. "It's ok. This weather and all the mud isn't exactly meant for walking." She noticed that Dean and Arandi didn't have an umbrella. "Here use my umbrella. I can share with my mom till we get inside the tent."

Arandi took it gratefully. "Thank you, I'm Arandi, this is my husband Dean."

"I'm Layla." The pretty blonde woman smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Dean, has a bad heart." Arandi replied. "Are you the one here for help?"

"Yeah, I'm not really feeling bad right now but I have an inoperable brain tumor. This is my last hope."

Arandi stopped when Dean did. "I just need a minute." He gasped.

Sam swooped in and Dean tried to bat him away but he just didn't have the strength to pull it off. 'Freaking Baby Huey.' Dean thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary had managed to save them an entire row of seats, too close to the front for Dean's liking but he trudged along leaning heavily on Sam. He was so ready for a nap.

"Get off me." He muttered once he was near the chair his mom directed him too.

Sam chuckled despite himself.

Dean sat uncomfortably, his chest hurting so badly and every breath a pang. Layla and her mom sat just in front of them and Arandi handed her umbrella back to her and thanked her.

Even with space heaters all around and throngs of people around him Dean felt nothing but cold.

A lady began to play an organ and people began to pray out loud and give praise.

Dean squirmed in his seat. He looked at his mom but she had that 'come hell or high water' look on her face so he didn't say a word.

He was very surprised to find that Roy LeGrange was blind. He was led on stage by a woman that Dean assumed was his wife. She smiled to the crowd.

Roy moved to the microphone and began to speak. "I see that the bad weather didn't deter any of you." He chuckled at him own pun.

Dean rolled his eyes and Arandi grumbled at him quietly and reached her hand into the hoodie to take hold of his frozen one.

"I may not be able to see with my eyes, young man, but the Lord helps me see none the less." Roy faced towards Dean.

"I…didn't mean…" Dean stammered. Completely flustered. He looked at his own scowling mother and shrugged sheepishly.

Roy chuckled again. "No harm done but I take it you're not a believer?"

"I've seen a lot of bad things happen to good people."

"You are good people. I can see that."

Dean looked around uncomfortably.

"I want you to come up here." Roy said.

"I…don't…..." Dean began to protest but Mary and Arandi were already pulling him to his feet, Sam at his back.

He could hear Layla's mom protest. "We've been here every day for two weeks."

Layla hissed her silent.

Dean wanted to bolt. Let all these other people on oxygen and in wheel chairs go before him but what if this really was his only chance. He glanced at his mom, then at Arandi, then into Sam's huge pleading eyes. He had to try.

He went up a couple of steps with Sam's help. He stared nervously at his family where they stood just below.

"You have a lot of work to do still, son." Roy murmured to Dean. "Now let's get you healed."

Roy raised one hand to the ceiling, the other he placed on Dean's shoulder. He began to pray slowly moving his hand up until he was touching Dean's face.

Dean swayed. He felt a flash of heat and he was suddenly so very tired. He gulped hard. His head filled with a buzzing sound and his vision blurred. His heart suddenly beating as if it was going to burst straight out of his chest.

He gasped. He reached for something but there was nothing there. He fell to his knees. His heart stopped, he felt it to his soul. Everything around him seemed to freeze.

Another touch and he fell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean!" His mom was kneeling beside him, her eyes wide with fear. Arandi and Sam close behind her.

Dean sucked in a long breath of air and it didn't hurt to do it.

He blinked hard and someone just past Roy's shoulder looked at him and then disappeared. Dean felt a chill course his entire body. He sat up slowly and Sam was behind him giving him a place to lean back while he tried to get his bearings.

His chest didn't hurt anymore. He was breathing like he always did before the rawhead.

The entire tent of people was clapping and praising loudly. Sam pulled Dean up slowly until he was upright. He still felt weak kneed so he leaned on Sam.

"Just praise the Lord not me." Roy said with a huge smile.

Dean nodded forgetting Roy couldn't actually see him. "Thank you."

They were led away by ushers and back into the cold rainy day. Dean stopped and felt the cold but it wasn't effecting him nearly as badly as it had when they first arrived.

Arandi hugged him hard. "How do you feel?"

"I feel alive."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean buttoned his shirt slowly as he sat on the examining table of the first doctor that crossed their path. He told the doctor he needed a second opinion.

Arandi stood off to his side nervously bouncing from one foot to the other and scraping her teeth over her cuticles. Her way of not biting her nails.

The female doctor came in smiling. "Your heart is healthy. Somehow your other records must have gotten mixed up with someone else."

"Yeah, that must be it." Dean smiled in relief or as faked as he could get it.

"Count your blessings, just yesterday a young man not much older than you dropped dead from a heart attack."

Dean's hunter radar kicked in to full gear. Nothing like what they were dealing with now came without a price.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's not a coincidence. That man died at the exact time that I was cured." Dean paced the motel room furiously. "I knew that this healer had to be involved with something else. I saw that old man and you all say that there was no else there."

Mary stared out the window of the room, her arms crossed.

Sam sat at his laptop his face a mix of emotions. "He's right. Every time that LeGrange has healed someone, another person died at the exact same time of the same ailment."

Dean stopped pacing. "That man is dead because of me. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Mary turned to face her son. "You can be mad all you want, Dean, but don't expect me to apologize for wanting my son to live. I didn't know this was happening but I don't regret your being able to live your life the way you deserve too."

Dean stared at his mom as he licked his lips. He looked at Arandi. "We can't let this happen to anyone else."

"Then we won't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had to wait a day because the rain had come down hard. They did all the research they could and everyone headed to their rooms for the night.

Dean though was wide awake and needing to test his heart out. He smiled seductively at Arandi as he pulled off his shirts.

She smiled back.

Clothes gone they tumbled onto the bed and Dean growled possessively as he pushed into her. He wrapped himself around her, lips working her throat as he went for broke.

His heart beat like mad but for all the good reasons.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean decided to talk to Roy, while Sam searched for clues in another part of the house after breaking a window. If the man really was using spells or black magic, he was hiding the fact rather well.

Roy's faith was genuine and that made Dean edgy. Not to mention that Sue Ann, Roy's wife barely left his side.

"What did you mean that I have a lot of work left to do?"

"The Lord showed me that you have an important part to play soon. One that dare I say saves many. That's all I saw nothing more."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean met Sam on the porch. Neither said anything as Layla and her mother came up the steps.

Sue Ann appeared and held her hand up. "Roy isn't taking any more visitors. He has to rest."

Layla's mother walked right up to Dean. "What right do you have to be healed and not my daughter?" She spat at him.

"No one's child is less important than another's." Mary popped up at bottom of the steps. "Your daughter deserves to be healed just like my son was and anyone else's child should be. I would greatly appreciate it if you back off."

Layla mouthed an apology to Dean and then pulled her scowling mother away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't think Roy has any idea." Sam said as he told the other's what he had found in the LeGrange study. "He's blind so hiding something from him isn't that hard."

"He honestly believes that he's doing the right thing." Dean huffed. "He would be to if others weren't dying."

"That leaves Sue Ann and she's messing with some really dark arts."

"She bound a reaper." Mary said casually as she looked at the pictures that Sam had taken of the mysterious book he had found in the LeGrange home.

"You can bind a reaper?" Dean and Sam said at the same time.

"You can bind just about anything if you have the proper ingredients and you want your soul eternally damned."

"What do we do then?" Dean asked.

"We end this tonight." Mary huffed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean cursed. It wasn't fair at all. Roy had decided to cure Layla next and from what Arandi had told him she deserved it.

She hadn't had a family yet and her mother would be all alone once she passed. They had given her six months if she was lucky.

This crap though didn't have anything to do with luck.

Like before the tent was full of people and Dean wanted to tell Layla the truth. This wasn't something anyone would believe and who was to say that she wouldn't be one of those people who thought of herself first before anyone else. Maybe she wouldn't care if someone died for her cure.

He tried to tell himself that anyway to ease the guilt of ending her only hope.

Dean stationed himself inside the tent while Sam, Arandi, and Jade hunted for the altar that Sue Ann had to have to bind the reaper. Mary and Beth roamed around outside to keep an eye on things.

Suddenly Dean found himself between two deputy sheriffs being pulled out of the tent.

Sue Ann stood in front of him. "Your ungratefulness for my husband saving you won't go unpunished. God punishes the wicked and you Dean are wicked."

Apparently she had figured out that her book had been disturbed and assumed it had been Dean.

"That's fresh coming from you." He hissed.

"Get him off my property." Sue Ann instructed. Her smile showing nothing but arrogance.

Dean wished she was a male so that he could kick some teeth in. He was led to the Impala.

"You're blocked in right now." A deputy pointed out. "As soon as there is an opening you need to be on your way. We see you roaming around we will put the fear of God in you."

"Fear of God, got it." Dean smirked. He was so ready to show them fear of Winchester.

He got into the car and waited.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi found the altar in a cellar. She stared at the symbols and dead creatures. The picture of Dean taken from a surveillance camera made her mad. Sue Ann had marked him as the next death.

Arandi destroyed the entire altar. She tucked the picture in her jacket afraid that destroying it might do more harm than good. She rushed back up the steps to find Dean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean peeked around the corner of an RV. He was trying to make his way back to the tent but the 'fear of God' patrol stood in his way.

He heard the music start and knew that Roy was going to begin the healing.

He moved around to try to go to the other side. The reaper appeared in front of him. Dean took a few steps back. He knew running wouldn't do any good.

The reaper was on him and Dean gasped, letting out a helpless yell. His body felt hot and cold all at once. He had a whole new kind of pain in his chest. He fell to his knees. He could feel his life force draining away.

Not too far away he could make out Sue Ann praying and holding a cross with blood in it that she wore on a necklace.

Dean hit the ground hard sliding across wet grass when Sam tackled him free of the reaper but the reaper had its orders and it moved towards Dean again even as Dean tried to catch onto his breathing again. Get the life blood flowing through him.

Sue Ann gasped as the necklace was ripped from her hands and neck. Mary glared at her. "Did you ever fuck with the wrong family." She hissed, she took the cross and began to speak in Latin, Sue Ann grabbed for Mary but Arandi was there and pulled her back.

Mary kept on with the words and in a blink the reaper vanished from in front of Dean and Sam and reappeared in front of Sue Ann.

She tried to scream but the reaper latched onto her. Arandi backed away wide eyed. Sue Ann's eyes lost their life as she crumpled to the ground.

Inside the tent the cheers went up. Layla was healed.

Mary threw the cross to the ground and it shattered the blood inside spilling into the ground.

The reaper regarded Mary for just a moment giving her slight tilt of his head before he walked into the mist and disappeared.

Dean and Sam still sat on the ground stunned. There was so much they didn't know about their mom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jade sat on an overstuffed chair in the motel room sulking. "I always miss out on the action." She grumbled.

Sam kissed her temple with a fond smile.

Dean sat on the edge of the bed watching Mary, they had the book now and it was going to be locked away safely.

"Do I want to know how you knew the incantation to release the reaper?"

"Probably not." Mary replied with a wink. "There is more than one bad book in the world, baby, and for sure a shit ton of bad people wanting to do bad things."

"It was awesome. You took out the bad person and saved a good one." Arandi hugged Mary.

"Layla deserves a long life. Sue Ann had already pushed hers by fucking with my boy."

"Hey, Sammy, our mom's a badass." Dean chuckled and Sam joined him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They packed up the Impala and Mary and Beth loaded up the SUV. They were heading back home again.

"If you find hunts close to home. Hit us up. We still have a couple of kicks left in us." Mary smiled.

"You heard that, babe." Dean said to Arandi. "I will not dare disobey Mary Winchester."

Mary kissed his cheek. "If I didn't love you so much…."

The young hunters watched their moms' drive away.

"Just need a couple more things." Sam said heading back to the room.

Dean leaned back against the Impala and pulled Arandi closer to him.

"What you didn't get enough last night." She purred.

"I thought I was going to die without ever feeling that again so I was just making up for it."

"I'll believe that when unicorns shoot rainbows out of their ass."

"You're right. I would have gladly died performing my husbandly duties."

"Now there is the Dean Winchester I know and love."

"Hey." Layla stepped up beside them. "I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" Dean asked confused.

Layla shrugged. "I just have a feeling. Sue Ann is dead by the way, apparently she had an aneurism from an inoperable brain tumor. Roy didn't even know she was sick." She looked from Dean to Arandi.

"Wow, how's Roy taking it?" Dean inquired.

"Not good. He said that he's closing the tent down and moving away. He said that once he healed me that he didn't feel the spirit anymore. Strange coincidence that Sue Ann died at the same moment that I was healed."

"Yeah, strange." Dean smiled softly but didn't look away.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways." Layla smiled brightly.

Dean and Arandi smiled back. Yeah, and so did the Winchesters.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!

Please review!


	40. BACK IN TIME

BACK IN TIME

Arandi was sifting through some research on her laptop while Dean was out getting their dinner.

He was ready for the next hunt now that he was healthy. She had dragged her feet but he was catching on quickly. He was fine now he just didn't get that it was taking her a while to accept it after seeing him so ill. She was beyond grateful but that niggling feeling never left her no matter how hard she tried to push it aside.

When she really started looking for a hunt, everything she came across either wasn't supernatural or it was already being handled by other hunters. Sam was having the same problem even though he had been just as guilty of dragging his own feet.

She was deep in thought when her phone rang and thinking that it was Dean calling to ask her what she wanted she answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Arandi Remington?" A female voice said on the other end.

"Actually it's Arandi Winchester now." She replied.

"I knew that but…. listen and please don't hang up. This is Cassie Robinson and…."

Arandi sat straight up. Still after all this time it irked her like nobody's business. "Cassie Robinson? How did you get my number?"

"I'm a full time reporter now. So I have my ways."

"I'm surprised you called me instead of Dean." Arandi regretted it the moment it left her lips.

Silence.

"You did call him?"

"He hung up on me on five different numbers." Cassie sighed.

Arandi smiled. Her husband wasn't as clueless as she thought sometimes but still he hadn't said a thing to her about it.

"Look, Arandi, and I hope I'm not being presumptuous by going with the first name. I'm desperate. I think there is haunted truck trying to kill my family." Cassie spat out.

"What makes you think we can help?"

"I'm a reporter, a damn good one at that and after Dean's rant all those years ago I got curious and started flagging things. Amazing what you can piece together from the smallest of clues."

'Crap.' Arandi thought.

"I saw the article of Dean's death but then not even a week later there is a tiny article in Podunk, Iowa and there he is looking rather good for a dead man."

'Double crap.'

"Good reporter or not. If you help me, it stays forever under wraps."

"And if we don't?"

"You're letting innocent people die."

'Triple crap. The bitch was good.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's finally happened. You've lost your freaking mind." Dean growled. "Why would you tell her that we would help?" He paced angrily.

"I explained that to you already." Arandi defended having spilled the news before Dean had even finished opening the motel room door.

"This is insane."

"What's the big deal, Dean, you afraid you can't be around her without wanting to kiss her again?"

"This." Dean motioned wildly between him and Arandi, wide eyed. "This is what I'm talking about, we're not even there yet and this shit."

"You should have told me she called."

"There was no point when I didn't talk to her at all."

"You wanted a hunt. This is a hunt." She said evenly. "Dumped in your lap with a nice red bow."

Dean's nose flared as he looked at her with her raised eyebrow and arms crossed.

"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam thought the mood was hilarious. He and Jade shocked beyond belief that Dean had ever kissed another woman.

"It was like half a second, dude." Dean defended as he drove.

Arandi scoffed beside him, her arms still crossed.

"Keep that shit up and I will turn this car around so help me…..."

She mimicked him.

Sam laughed harder.

Dean wasn't about to suffer alone. "No different than when you kissed Sandy."

Sam choked and glared at his brother in the rear view mirror. He could see Jade turning purple from his peripheral and Dean sucked at being a big brother sometimes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean took a deep breath as he walked into the newspaper office with everyone right behind him.

There was a whole lot of newer equipment but otherwise the office was the same. It still took him a couple of seconds to realize that he had come to a stop where Cassie had kissed him.

He took a couple of steps forward.

Cassie was a few feet away seemingly arguing with a tall older man. She had grown up too.

Sam was grinning like a loon and Dean was going to kick him in the nuts if he said anything stupid.

Cassie finally noticed them and she walked over.

"Thank you for coming." She shook their hands one by one.

She took stock of Arandi. Dean was sure that Arandi gave a little more grip than necessary.

"Come with me."

They followed Cassie into an office and she closed the door and slid the blinds closed. She motioned for them to sit.

"Where do you want me to begin?" She asked as she sat on the edge of a huge desk.

"You said there was a ghost truck trying to kill your family?" Arandi started. She sat in a chair with Dean standing behind her.

Cassie sighed. "I don't really believe in that kind of thing but that's what my dad said. A man that was once a complete skeptic on the matter."

"What caused him to change his mind?" Sam popped up.

"There have been three deaths in the past three weeks. All of them black men on the same stretch of road. My dad would have been the fourth but somehow he was able to jump free of the car before it flipped. He swears up and down that there was a black evil looking truck that vanished into thin air once it had done its damage."

"Where's your dad?" Dean asked.

"In the hospital. He was able to jump but he still sustained some serious injuries."

"So no one took him seriously?"

"Got blamed on head trauma. Thing is that I went to look at the accident scenes myself. Everyone assumed it to be one car involved. Only one set of tire tracks but when you see how damaged the cars are something had to have hit them pretty hard over and over. It's not the kind of damage you get from a role over."

"Do you think your dad will talk to us?"

"He should. He's terrified that my mom or I are next."

"Why?"

Cassie looked at Dean then Arandi and looked uncertain. "He said he knows who the driver is and that he's been dead for forty years."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had let Arandi decide how to work the angle. He in no way wanted to get things wrong in her eyes because when it came to shit like this everything could be taken out of context.

So he had been a little more than shocked when she said that she would watch Cassie's mom while he spoke to Cassie's dad and Sam and Jade dug up more research.

Dean walked nervously beside Cassie on their way to her dad's hospital room.

"My mom spends most of her time here but dad wanted her to rest since all he does is sleep."

"They've been married a long time?" Dean asked conversationally.

"Nearly fifty years. They got married rather young. My mom's white by the way. So they've had their share of ups and downs." Cassie stopped walking. "She's very beautiful, your wife I mean."

"You don't have to tell me that." Dean smiled proudly.

"She loves you very much."

"It's mutual."

"Your brother and sister in law were kind of unexpected."

"They've been with us for a bit for family reasons."

"All of you do this…. thing?

"We call ourselves hunters."

"Hunters." Cassie repeated. "And I thought my family business was hard."

They both looked around awkwardly.

Dean sighed. "Cassie, you're very beautiful but I love Arandi and we've already been together a lifetime, literally."

"I didn't bring you here to cause problems, Dean, but I will tell you that I thought of you more than once and it wasn't even a real kiss."

"Arandi is everything. Simple as that."

"Maybe I should have kissed her."

"Maybe you should have but then…..." He let the implication hang in the air and kept walking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry that my daughter dragged you into this." Mrs. Robinson said as she wrung her hands in her lap as Arandi drove her back to the hospital.

"We had to check it out." Arandi shrugged.

"Things like this are just so complicated."

Arandi glanced at Mrs. Robinson. It was easy to see that she had something on her mind but was not willing to share just yet.

"How do you know Cassie?"

Arandi tried not to let the emotion show on her face. "We met a long time ago."

"I don't remember her mentioning you."

"We didn't end things amicably."

"So this was the Dean that made her what she is today."

Arandi shot Mrs. Robinson another look.

"Cassie has always been head strong but there a time a few years back that she acted like the world owed her something. The name Dean mentioned more than once."

Arandi bristled and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She was about to reply but Mrs. Robinson continued.

"Then one day it was as if a switch was flicked on or off, not certain which but she got an envelope in the mail and she stared at the pictures inside for the longest time. Then just like that she started dating and everything was good."

Arandi felt something inside her snap back into place. It was Dean behind that envelope of that she had no doubt.

"How are you getting back to your husband, dear?"

Arandi smiled. She was sure that Mrs. Robinson had pushed for the subject change once she got no reply with her prodding.

"I'll call him right now to come pick me up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat at the small table in the motel room going over the files of the men that had been killed and Sam sat across from him on his laptop.

"We spoke to a man at the docks that told us this mysterious black truck had been a serious matter back in the day. Only that truck didn't run people off the road. Black men just disappeared into it and were never seen again."

"Let me guess. No one bothered to investigate these disappearances?" Dean tapped his fingers on the table.

"I haven't been able to find anything."

"And the truck?"

"It just stopped one day."

"I think Mr. Robinson was holding something back when I talked to him. He didn't seem too thrilled that Cassie had involved outsiders. He was very vague on things like he suddenly couldn't remember."

"Bet that thrilled the hell out of Cassie. "

"I'm sure she thinks that I think she was just trying to lure me back into town." Dean shook his head and stood up to grab a beer.

"You must be one hell of kisser."

"Ash still blushes every time he sees me."

Dean's phone began to ring. "Hey, baby, what's taking you so long to get back?"

"I'm driving Mrs. Robinson back to the hospital. I didn't want her driving alone. Mind swinging by to pick me up?"

"How far are you?"

There was no response.

"Arandi?"

"Dean, a black truck just appeared behind us. And I literally mean appeared!"

"Floor it, baby, use every trick I ever taught you. I'm on my way." Dean motioned for Sam and Jade to follow.

Dean could hear Arandi dropping the phone as he rushed to the Impala. They sped away, heading in the direction of the hospital from the Robinson home.

Dean hit speaker and passed the phone to Sam. They could hear Arandi cursing. The squeal of tires making turns at high speed. They could hear Mrs. Robinson's panicked voice. "It can't be." She said clearly.

"Dean!" Arandi cried out. Then the unmistakable sound of breaking glass and twisting metal, then nothing.

Dean's mouth went dry. His chest tight. He didn't ever remember pushing the Impala that hard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean barely put the Impala in park as he jumped out of the car running like mad towards the overturned white Infinity. It was crushed from being hit and flipping and fire was spreading fast.

He wasn't even halfway to the car when the blast knocked him back. Still he pushed forward until Sam pulled him back.

On the verge of punching his little brother Dean barely heard the moan over the roar of the fire.

He saw the movement on the other side of the burning car and he yanked free of Sam and did a baseball slide over the thin layer of snow.

Mrs. Robinson sat up looking around confused her face covered in blood and Arandi lay beside her not moving.

"Arandi! Hey, baby girl." Dean gently checked her. He found her pulse and he nearly sobbed in relief. "Let's get them out of here before that thing comes back." Dean turned Arandi slowly and carefully and then lifted her into his arms.

Sam did the same to Mrs. Robinson, they rushed to the Impala and they sped to the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mrs. Robinson was admitted into the same room as her husband. She had been banged up but insisted that if not for Arandi's quick thinking and fast moves they would have been dead.

Dean was furious. While Arandi was having all types of tests done. He stormed into the Robinson's room.

Cassie jumped up taken aback by Dean's anger.

"Your wife and mine almost died today, Martin, and your daughter is probably going to be next. You better start talking or I'm taking my family and you are all on your own!"

Martin looked at his wife and then at Cassie. He swallowed hard but it was Mrs. Robinson that spoke first.

"Cyrus Dorian." She said shakily. "I dated him for a while before I met Martin but I knew that Martin was the one. Cyrus didn't handle being dumped for a black man well. Not in that day and time. He was the one that took all those black men but his family being prestigious he got away with it."

"Until the day…..." Martin continued. "Until the day that he burned down the church where we were supposed to be getting married. Only we decided last minute to just elope and…."

Mrs. Robinson was sobbing by now. "There was a children's choir practicing there and they all died because of Cyrus's hatred. His family couldn't keep him entirely out of trouble. So he came after Martin."

"I thought I was a dead man." Martin hitched. "But the thought of what he might do to my wife gave me strength I didn't know I had and I beat him down and before I knew it he was dead. A black man with a dead white man at his feet. How well do you think that would have gone for me? So I called my friends. All the men that have been killed and they helped load Cyrus into that devil truck and pushed it into the swamp. That was the end of it until now."

Cassie held her mom strongly and cried. "There was demolition work done there three weeks ago."

"Right around the time the killings started." Dean said in realization. "Cyrus is going after everyone that he thinks was involved in his death. Which means that none of you are safe. You're going to have to stay here, Cassie."

"Don't take that authoritative tone with me."

"Take it however you want." He said and rushed out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi leaned back on the hospital bed where she had been put for overnight observation. She felt like crap but they had come out of it alive.

Waking up with no Dean in sight made her panicky. Her sister had finally come to tell her that they had figured out the who and the what of the matter and that Dean would be back.

"He says he loves you and that Cyrus is gonna burn for hurting you."

Arandi smiled. Now all she had to do was wait. That wouldn't be hard at all.

Jade left to go get some snacks and Arandi laid back trying to focus her muddled brain. She was a bit surprised to see Cassie standing at the door.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my mom's life."

"She's very nice. I thought I was going to have a bit more problems convincing her to jump from a moving car."

"She knew what would happen if she didn't."

The two women regarded each other for a moment. "He loves you very much." Cassie finally sighed.

"It's mutual."

"I can't stand here and lie and say that I'm not interested in him but you know he only has eyes for you."

Arandi didn't respond. Cassie was a brave but very foolish woman for saying such things to someone like Arandi. She cleared her throat and swallowed. "Did you tell him this?"

Cassie huffed a laugh. "In a roundabout way and I got a huge door slammed in my face. Twice. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has tried."

"Many have tried all have failed besides I'm really good at hiding bodies." Intent totally implied.

Cassie nodded. "Thanks again." She walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean shivered against the cold. It was bad enough that it was freezing but then they had to pull a decade's old truck out of the wet swamp. He maneuvered the tractor they had borrowed until Sam told him to go forward. Thankfully Martin had been able to recall exactly where the truck had gone down. Thankfully they had been able to hook it without getting hip deep in swamp water.

The truck came up out of the water still somehow able to look menacing.

Once they had it far enough out of the water. They exchanged looks before Dean opened the door and Cyrus's decomposed body fell out.

"Let's burn this bitch." Dean growled.

They pulled the body out of the truck and double salted and double gassed it so that it would burn on high. The body burned bright.

"Think that'll do it?" Sam asked.

Dean didn't even have time to reply before the ghost truck appeared and the engine revved menacingly. "I guess not."

"Burning the body had no effect on that thing?" Sam said worriedly.

"Sure it did." Dean humphed. "Now it's really pissed."

"Cyrus is gone right?"

"Apparently not the part that fused with truck."

"What do we do now?"

"I'm gonna distract that devil truck and you're gonna burn that heap." Dean said as he ran for the Impala.

"How in the hell am I supposed to burn a wet truck full of water?" Sam asked in a panicked voice.

"You're the genius, figure it out." Dean started the Impala and zoomed into the night. The truck right at his ass.

He drove the best of his abilities but the truck seemed to have super speed.

Dean's head snapped forward fast and hard as the truck rear ended the Impala. The car fish tailed wildly before it gained traction again and Dean cursed every moment.

His phone rang and Sam was telling him to make a turn and go seventh tenth of a mile.

"Sam?"

"Just do it, Dean!"

Dean saw the truck as it inched up on the side he had to turn on and he waited for just the right moment and slammed on the brakes with both feet, the truck sped by and Dean made the turn on a hair.

"Seven tenths." He repeated to himself until the speedometer showed him what he wanted.

Dean stopped the car and brought it around in a wild spin to face the truck. The truck was stopped and revved its engine over and over again.

Dean held onto the steering wheel with a white knuckled grip. "Come on you son of a bitch!"

The tires of the truck spun and went at Dean and his car full speed. His heartbeat wild. The truck was right on him before he finally closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

The truck passed through and disappeared, the night suddenly very quiet except for the purr of the Impala.

Dean turned to look around but the truck was gone. He then heard his brother's panicked voice from the phone on the seat.

"Sam, what the hell?"

"You're on the consecrated ground where the church used to be."

"Church?"

"The one where Cyrus murdered all those children."

"What if it hadn't worked?"

"I honestly didn't think about that."

"Sam?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"I'm going to kill you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean helped Arandi walk towards the Impala. She was going to be fine but that didn't mean he couldn't baby her.

He kissed her gently. "Think I can kiss it all better?"

"Only one way to find out." They kissed again and Sam cleared his throat.

Dean motioned for him to shut up but another sound made him pull away from Arandi. Cassie stood not too far from them.

"I wanted to thank you all again since you wouldn't take any payment."

"It's what we do." Sam replied.

Cassie moved closer and Arandi eyed her. She was a brave stupid soul but she even left Arandi momentarily speechless from the unexpected meeting of lips.

Dean grunted in surprise but didn't have time to do much else before Cassie pulled back from Arandi and started to walk away. "Now it's even." She said with a wink.

"Unfuckingbelievable." Dean growled.

Arandi got in the car without another word.

Sam began to open his mouth while Jade joined her sister.

Dean pointed a finger at his brother. "Unless you want to limp you better not let anything past those teeth."

Sam snapped his mouth closed. As tempting as it was he knew his brother meant business. Besides he could use it for ammunition later.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	41. DAYMARES

DAYMARES

The man looked terrified. He was going to die and he had no way of stopping it. His car filled with fumes and he banged on the windows uselessly.

Sam sat up gasping from his sleep. He had just had a vision. He hadn't had one in a while but he knew the feeling, the all too realistic feel of it not being a dream. Not to mention the searing headache it left him with.

Someone was going to die. He had to try to stop it. He jumped from the bed and grabbed a note pad, he jotted down everything he could remember at the same time stuffing his things into duffels. He had had the vision for a reason.

"Sam?" Jade asked tiredly.

"I don't have time to explain right now, baby, just get up get packed I'll tell you everything in the car."

Jade nodded and began to get dressed. She wasn't going to argue when she saw Sam's face. She knew the look too well.

Sam rushed out of the room and started banging on Dean and Arandi's door.

A disheveled Dean threw open the door. "The end of the world better be right on your ass." He growled. He took one look at his brother's distraught face. "Vision?"

Sam nodded. "I think we can save him."

"Five minutes, Sammy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat upfront with Dean so that he could talk and the women could get a bit more sleep.

Sam pinched his nose and as he used his fake credentials to get information. He needed to make sure the man in his vision was real. Although every fiber of his being told him he was.

Dean was trying to convince him that it was all just a bad dream but when Jim Miller and his address were confirmed, Sam just looked at his brother as he rubbed at his temple. "Drive faster."

Dean sighed worriedly and floored it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had pushed the Impala to its limits and he cringed inwardly when they reached the destination just to see the entire block awash with flashing lights.

They were too late. Dean cursed under his breath. Sam looked distraught.

Even at that time of the night or morning now. Neighbors with morbid curiosity lined the street.

He didn't even know how to begin to soothe his angst ridden brother. He didn't get a chance to as Sam rushed from the car.

"Stay here." Dean told Arandi and Jade.

Sam stood towering over everyone at six five but still to Dean he looked like a little boy that had lost his puppy.

Dean moved through the crowd asking questions and most were all too willing to gossip.

The rest of the Miller family stood by the front door stunned as police asked questions and consoled.

"Everyone is saying it was suicide. That he locked himself up in the garage and the car."

"I know what I saw, Dean. He wasn't alone."

Dean nodded. "Dude, calm down ok, you don't look so hot."

"Stop looking at me like that." Sam snapped.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm losing my mind."

"I'm just worried about you. Look, let's get some rooms and we'll deal with this first of daylight."

Sam nodded and headed to the Impala. Dean watched him walk away and felt a sudden sense of dread.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi watched Dean start to strip out of his father costume.

Dean felt her eyes on him and he looked at her and smiled slyly. "Need to make a confession?" He wagged his brows.

"Might take a while."

Dean smirked and walked up to her they kissed but he humphed. "This really, really pains me, baby, but…..."

"I know. Just make sure and pack it in the Impala for later." Arandi grinned wickedly. "By the time I'm done with you you'll insist on performing an exorcism." She swatted him on the ass hard as she walked into the bathroom.

"Forgive me, Lord." He groaned and adjusted himself.

"So what did you and Sam find out?"

"The brother is a real ass, the mom is distraught, and the son, the one that found the dad dead is kind of creepy."

"What's the plan then?"

Dean opened his mouth to reply and Sam barged into the room. His face taught with pain and his words breathless. "It happened again. This time it's after the brother."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They got to Roger Miller while he was still alive but thinking that Dean and Sam were really Catholic fathers he made a run for his building and locked the door insisting he didn't need their kind of help.

Dean and Sam ran around the back and up the fire escape but they were too late. Roger's head lay in a flower bed under his kitchen window. The window covered in his blood.

"Fuck." Dean hissed. "Wipe down the railing, I'm going to see what I can find."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The drive back to the room was silent until Sam blurted. "You think I'm a freak don't you?"

Dean chuckled humorlessly. "Dude, if you're a freak then I'm right there with you."

"I don't get it what's after the Millers? Why are they cursed like us?"

"We're not cursed; we just have our dark spots."

"Our dark spots are pretty dark." Sam snorted.

"Yeah, well, you're dark." Dean muttered. He blinked as he pulled the Impala into the motel parking lot. A tug of pain in the base of his head and a loud screech and the car jolted to a stop.

"Dean?"

Dean got out of the car latching onto the door with a tight grip with one hand. Everything started to spin and his stomach twirled.

"Dean!" Sam sounded far away. He felt his brother's hand on his shoulder.

Dean lurched forward and hit his knees, his mind filled with screams and scenes moving too fast for him to make any sense of them. Each scene seemed to rack up the pain in his head. They stopped suddenly.

Sam kept his brother in place, in a panic. He called for Arandi. Dean's body gave the occasional jolt and his eyes were eerily greener than usual.

Arandi came running out of the room with Jade.

The motel's outdoor lights began to pop one by one, glass shattering everywhere. The motel's large neon sign shattered and glass and metal fell in every direction.

Dean gasped loudly and collapsed against his brother.

The night filled with car alarms and confused occupants.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The motel owner afraid that he might get sued when he saw Dean unconscious in the parking lot offered them free rooms for their entire stay.

He also moved them to the other side so that the glass clean up wouldn't interfere with their comings and goings the following day. Everything had been chalked up to a freak accident.

Dean sat groggily against the head board. He really didn't want to meet his brother's eyes.

"You've had visions too and you didn't think letting me know was important?"

"You have enough shit to deal with."

"And you don't? Why, Dean, do you always feel as if you have to carry every burden alone?"

"It's kinda ingrained into to me take care of little brother."

"That's dad's BS not mine. What the hell, Dean?"

"I don't know, Sam. This was the worst so far but I don't remember shit like you do. Everything is moving too fast for me to see it clearly."

Arandi and Jade walked in then with lunch.

"So what did you learn?" Dean asked sitting up slowly. His head still ached.

"The old neighbors remember a whole other side of the Millers that Mrs. Miller is obviously in denial about. According to one neighbor both Miller men treated Max Miller like their own personal punching bag. Even broken bones but worst of all was Mrs. Miller standing by and not doing a damn thing about it. She's the step mom by the way."

Sam felt the vision hit without warning. He stumbled back until he hit the wall. Mrs. Miller and Max arguing and a knife lifting into the air sinking into her face as Max accused her of never lifting a hand to protect him. "It's Max." Sam stammered. "He's about to kill his step mom."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They made to the Miller home in record time. Both Winchester's kicking in the front door together. Neither of them fully recovered from their experiences but they had to at least try to save one since they had struck out twice so far.

Mrs. Miller was pinned to the wall with the knife hovering inches from her face. It fell to the floor when Max was momentarily distracted but Mrs. Miller was lifted and hit a counter with her head.

Arandi and Jade ran towards her to help her.

"Stay away from her!" Max yelled. The door slammed shut

"It's ok, Max. They are just going to take her away while you and I talk."

"I'm not leaving you with him." Dean said sternly.

"Talk about what? You know what I did and I'm not going to be able to get away with that."

"We can help you because you and I are not much different." Sam continued moving forward slowly.

"You're nothing like him." Dean muttered angrily.

Sam looked at his brother imploringly. Dean's lips went into a thin line but he shut up.

"He's right, you don't know what I can do." Max yelled. Objects around him trembling.

"You can move things with your mind. You see things that no one else can see."

Max covered in sweat and breathing hard eyed Sam warily. "You can do that too?"

"I have visions of things that are going to happen."

"Why does he have a gun?" Max asked, panic rising.

Dean pulled his gun quickly setting it on the counter. "I carry that everywhere I go."

"He does." Sam consoled.

Max full of anger was ready to explode. His entire life had been a nightmare why would this be any different. He saw no future. "What do you see now?" He taunted Sam.

Sam took a step back as his vision filled. 'The gun lifted into the air and aimed at his head. The gun cocked and fired without a touch but Dean pushed Sam out of the way and the bullet hit Dean right between the eyes, the wall splattered with blood.'

Sam snapped out of it. His brother's hand heavy on his arm, his eyes wide. "Max, we can help you."

"No one can help me." Max yelled and the gun lifted.

"No!" Sam screamed and the stools behind Max slid across the floor hitting Max but not hard enough to deter him

The gun cocked. Sam planted himself hard to where hopefully Dean wouldn't be able to budge him but he should have known, as the bullet fired Dean stepped in front of him.

"Dean!"

The bullet stopped hovering millimeters from entering Dean's head but still spinning and then it curved around. Max astonished face still intact as the bullet entered his head and he crumpled to the floor dead.

Sam rushed forward knowing that Max was dead but holding a small grain of hope. He looked at Dean wide eyed.

"What the hell just happened?" Dean whispered. He gulped and held himself with one hand against a wall.

"I know I moved those stools." Sam answered. "But the bullet…?"

"I don't know." Dean ran his other hand over his face. It was then that he noticed Arandi standing halfway down the stairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thankfully Mrs. Miller was willing to put the hunters in the clear. She convinced police that Max had taken his own life and it meshed well with his dad and uncle's death.

She was now completely alone.

Back at the room. The hunters sat around a small table attempting to eat but no one really had an appetite.

"When you touched me, you saw the vision too?" Sam asked.

"I felt it the same way when we were younger." Dean replied. He stared at his plastic spork hard seeing if he could accomplish anything.

"You look like you're constipated."

Dean glared at his brother. "Yeah, like you haven't tried."

Arandi stood up. "I got this when we were upstairs with Mrs. Miller." She pulled a stack of rolled up papers from her jacket and handed them to Dean.

"These are all drawings of yellow eyes."

"Journal entries too."

"Azazel was coming for him too." Sam said stunned. "He wrote about seeing an army of people like himself. So there are others. What if they're like Max?"

"Then we hunt them too." Dean said evenly.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	42. THE MONSTER AROUND THE BEND

THE MONSTER AROUND THE BEND

"They should have gone back to Palo Alto by now." Dean said casually as he slipped on a white and black plaid shirt over a black Henley.

"Do you want them to go?" Arandi asked as she slipped her own plaid shirt similar to Dean's over a black tank top.

"No, I like having them with us but I don't want Sam or Jade to throw everything they worked for away. They still deserve normal."

"And we don't?"

"Not what I meant, love."

"I'm sure they were able to get time off with our dads missing. Our siblings are master liars just like us. Beside, Dean, Sam isn't going anywhere till he has his shot."

Dean sighed. "I know. Now how long are you planning on avoiding the subject of the curving bullet?" He stepped up to her tucking her hair behind her ear.

She met his eyes. "It wasn't me. I've seen your life in danger too many times to count and I haven't been able to do anything like that so it was either Sam and he didn't realize it or it was Max really killing himself."

Dean nodded. "I know it wasn't me."

"Why, just because there wasn't broken glass everywhere?"

He shrugged. He really wasn't sure of anything.

"You put yourself in front of a bullet again. I get it, I'd do the same for Jade. So I don't care what stopped that bullet. I'm just glad it wasn't your brain."

"You and me both, love dove. Let's go out and have some fun."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The four of them went to a bar and settled in for a night of relaxing. They were putting off the hunt for a couple of days at least. That was the plan anyway.

After a few raucous games of pool and darts and some beers and shots, enough wings to seriously put a dent in the chicken population, they decided to call it a night.

Dean had watched Arandi most of the night and well it could be said that he was seriously in love because no matter how long they had been together he always felt that swooping of his stomach when he looked at her especially when she was relaxed and smiling that smile that just made all the bad go away even for just a little while. Love didn't even seem like the right word anymore.

He was ready to go back to the room and slowly peel her clothes off and do all kinds of things with his tongue and yeah. He bit his lip and looked at her with a head tilt.

She smiled at him knowingly and he sauntered up to her and they kissed slow and dirty. Pulling apart only when they remembered that they were in a bar full of people.

"I've got to pee like a race horse." Jade declared with a hiccup.

"I'll keep an eye on her. Sam, you pay the tab." Dean handed him a wad of money. He needed to empty his bladder just as badly.

Dean had to wait a few minutes for a urinal to clear and then he waited patiently for Jade to come out of the other door. He peeked out into the crowd and couldn't spot Arandi or Sam anywhere.

He was sure they had gone to the car to wait.

Jade came out finally. Humming to herself and Dean smiled. He put his arm around her shoulder and began to hum the same tune.

She giggled uncontrollably and they made their way through the crowd and outside.

Dean's hunter instinct tingled the second he spotted the empty Impala and Arandi's plaid shirt tossed over the trunk.

He let go of Jade who by now realized something wasn't right. He circled the parking lot in a mad dash and asked everyone outside if they had seen any sign of his wife and brother.

People began coming out of the bar in droves. The bar was done for the night.

Dean and Jade knew something was very, very wrong when the entire parking lot was empty and still no Sam or Arandi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Jade hadn't slept an ounce. Both of them sobering up pretty damn fast with the situation at hand and they hated having to wait until daylight to make a move.

They had searched the surrounding area and found nothing.

Dean had spotted a couple of traffic cams and he prayed really hard that they held the clue to what had happened. His stomach ached with fear of what could have possibly taken down not only his gigantor brother but his warrior princess wife as well.

Jade researched and soon had the info that Hibbing had its share of missing people. "Something is up in this place and it reeks."

"Can you find anyone that might help us?"

After a few more minutes of research. "Officer Kathleen Hudak, her brother is one of the missing."

"Let's go." Dean said already halfway out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean had her, he even got Officer Kathleen to get him the shots he needed from the traffic cams but she wasn't the typical cop that just took his badge with a grain of salt.

She had checked into him and she was just slightly pissed.

Dean stared at the brunette trying to figure out how to get himself out of being arrested for impersonating an officer. Every minute that slipped by was a minute more that Sam and Arandi were in danger.

He flapped the photos in his hand. "I swear I won't run from you, just let me find my brother and wife first. You saw for yourself that old camper with the stolen plates. We have a chance to find them and hopefully others that are missing."

That made Kathleen look at him.

"I can't lose them; they are everything to me." Dean said seriously, not losing eye contact with her. "I won't lose them." He stressed.

She huffed air. "I can lose my job for this."

"Please." He begged his eyes shiny.

"I'm locking you up the second this is over." She warned. 'What the hell was she thinking?'

"Thank you." He replied in relief because catching a case for assaulting an officer would have been ugly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kathleen was more than a little miffed that some green eyed handsome stranger came along and with just a few cam pictures found his way to the farm that none of her department had been able to track down. Herself included.

It burned her gut that if this place just a few miles out of her town held the secrets to her brother's disappearance, she had failed to be the best she could be at her job. She had failed her brother.

How was it possible that this man came along and just knew where to look like a perfect tracker?

Where was he when her brother went missing?

She had already left an angry wife behind at the department and now she was leaving an angrier husband and brother handcuffed to her patrol unit.

She was doing her job. Maybe a few days late and a fist full of dollars short but doing her job none the less. She tried to console herself as she jumped the battered gate and started up the long muddy driveway that no one else had seen the beat up camper that had led them here because maybe they had just started using it.

She would have found it too if she'd had that heads up. She had to believe that or she would truly go insane.

She spotted the beat up camper and her heart began to race. Maybe she should have called for backup? Maybe she should have let Dean come along if that was even his real name and she had no idea why she hadn't pressed for a last name.

Maybe she already knew how this was going to go and she really didn't want to know.

She climbed the stairs of the old rickety house and knocked on the front double doors. She unclipped her gun and waited.

She didn't expect the young teen girl that answered with the old dress and tangled hair. She would be pretty if not for that and if her eyes didn't look so wild.

"Is your mom home?" Kathleen asked. She really needed to reevaluate her instincts.

"She's dead." The girl said dully.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What's your name?"

"Missy."

"Missy, that's a pretty name. How about your dad is he home?"

Missy smiled wickedly. "That's really gonna hurt."

Kathleen managed to open her mouth but darkness dragged her away after her head exploded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stretched to the tips of his toes trying to reach the police cars antenna. He felt the pull of his back and side muscles but he had to get free. He had heard the whiny grinding of the old camper starting up and they were coming his way.

That meant Kathleen had been killed or captured and he wasn't about to be an easy target. It was bad enough that he had no weapons on him thanks to Officer Kathleen.

The antenna broke off and rolled out of his reach.

"Son of a bitch."

"So fucking tired of being left out of everything." Jade suddenly appeared from the woods.

"Get me out of these things." Dean stared at her for about half a second and shook his head then hissed as the camper neared. He had no idea how she had gotten there but that was for another time.

"Are you always this bossy?" She said picking the cuffs easily.

"Please and thank you. Now move your ass because here they come." Dean pushed her into the woods just as the camper came into sight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat in a cage as far back as he could. They wanted him out they were either gonna have to shoot him in the cage or get in there with him.

Arandi was in a cage between him and the other cage that had held a man named Jenkins. He had run out earlier after Sam had pulled a large thick metal cable loose and his door had buzzed open.

Sam warned him not to go that it was probably a trap but he left anyway. Things got ugly by the sounds that followed soon after.

Sam and Arandi had expected some horrible monster to be behind all this but man had they been shocked to find out that they had been taken down my humans. Sick, depraved, twisted humans but humans none the less.

Arandi especially was pissed at herself. Usually she could fight three men without breaking a sweat. These fuckers had surprised and totally caught her off guard when her and Sam were laughing their way to the Impala.

Dean was so going to have their asses for this.

Neither of them had any doubt that Dean would find them they just hoped that it wouldn't be too late.

The barn doors opened and Sam and Arandi readied themselves for whatever but it was just one of the sickos bringing in an unconscious female deputy. He threw her into the empty cage, locked it, and left.

Arandi dropped her head back in frustration. Either this officer had come in alone or all her backup was taken out.

They waited a few minutes and she finally began to stir. She sat up and touched her head and looked around confused.

She spotted them. "Are you Sam and Arandi?"

"Yeah, we are?" Sam answered.

"Your…Dean…...he's looking for you."

"Where is he?" Arandi asked expectantly.

Kathleen looked sheepish. "I left him handcuffed to my car."

"You don't know Dean." Arandi sighed.

On cue the door opened slowly and Dean and Jade slipped inside.

Dean lit up as soon as he spotted his brother and wife in one piece. Jade rushed to touch both of them.

"I left you back in town and you were handcuffed." Kathleen sputtered.

"We have a few tricks up our sleeves." Dean smirked as he went to work trying to open the cages. "Are you ok? Man, I am so glad to see you again."

"The locks are controlled by that box over there and they have the key." Sam hedged the original question.

"Of course they have the key." Dean muttered. "What are they anyway?"

Sam and Arandi exchanged glances.

Dean stared between them almost afraid of the answer.

"Human." Arandi finally replied.

"Excuse me what? You are losing your touch, kiddo." Dean pointed his finger accusingly at Sam.

Arandi knew she was going to get a whole new level of scolding once they were alone just from the look Dean tossed her way.

"Jade, you hide in here and if they try to take anyone or hurt anyone do what you have to do. I'm going in the house to find the key."

"Dean, be careful, they may be human but they are sick and strong." Arandi warned.

Dean crouched down beside her and reached into the cage to cup her face. "I missed you." Giving her the best kiss he could manage from that angle.

"Dean?" Kathleen said softly. "Did you see anything out there?"

"Lots of cars. Probably other people they have taken."

"Was one of them a black mustang older model?"

"Yeah. Your brother?"

Kathleen nodded, the lump in her throat unbearable.

"I'm sorry."

She only nodded again. Her eyes bright.

Dean walked out then to find the key.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean slid into the house through a broken basement window. He could tell by the looks of things that it was a very old house and whoever lived there had been there a long time.

He walked slowly around, spotted things that made his stomach lurch and realize that Arandi had been right these people were sick but she really had no idea.

"Demons I get…but people…..." Dean muttered to himself. He wiped his hand on his shirt after he put down a jar with gross looking contents.

Moving further he found a wall with lots of Polaroids on display. Everyone one them showed a dead person with two or three men with rifles smiling like they had just taken down a prize buck.

"They hunt people." Dean mouthed as his stomach did another complete flip. He knew that among those photos was Kathleen's brother. His brother and wife would have most likely joined the wall of sick. He still had to get them all out of there.

Quietly he moved up the stairs wishing he had his guns.

He came out onto a wide hallway littered with tables and shelves filled with all sorts of odd and ends. There was clutter everywhere and more questionable jars.

He ran right into a wind chime made of human bones and he bit back the nausea. He could hear the steady whack of a meat cleaver and finally able to see where the sound was coming from he saw that he was right.

An older man was chopping something up and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was human. The stench of blood nauseating.

Dean backed up slowly. He spotted a box full of keys and he cursed inwardly. Just how in the hell was he supposed to be able to tell which was the key or if it was even in the box.

If they used it often it had to be on one of the cannibals. Dean lifted another jar and another wave of repulsion hit him. A mid-sized jar nearly full of teeth.

Dean felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Knew before he heard the slight creak of a floor board that there was someone behind him. He grabbed a broken broom handle and swung around.

A young girl stood in front of him. He instantly dropped his defenses. "Whoa, hey, I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl's face turned feral. "I know." She said and pulled a knife. She lunged at Dean and he side stepped but somehow she pinned his shirt to the wall.

She started screaming. "Daddy!" Over and over while Dean desperately tried to pull himself free.

"Son of a bitch." He breathed and couldn't help but wonder just how many of the victims had been lured to their death by this girl. People thinking that they were helping an innocent girl only to find Satan's spawn had led them to their doom.

Dean yanked the knife free but two tall bulky men with bad teeth came at him.

He got tackled solidly by one of them and he flew into a wall. He got up swinging and got in more than one punch. One of the men grabbed him from behind and Dean used it to his advantage and kicked the second man with both legs.

Dean could do this all day but the fuckers were strong and if the girl got into the mix he wasn't sure what he would do.

He hit a wall again and he felt blood running down the right side of his face. He brushed at it quickly not wanting anything to get into his eyes.

He was getting really pissed and he knew that if he really set his mind to it he could kick their ass three ways from the middle of the week.

"I'm going to kick your ass first." He said as he pointed at the taller of the two men. "Then you." He moved to the other.

For just a second Dean thought he had intimidated them because neither of them moved towards him.

The sudden slamming of pain in the back of his head and immediate darkness told him why.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The pain in his head throbbed intensely. Honestly just how many concussions could one human body endure?

He opened his eyes and blinked away the blurriness. Seeing all the strangers in front of him he hoped that he'd get a chance to find out the thing about the concussions.

He thought about his options which were few since he was tied with his hands behind his back and even his ankles were bound to a chair.

The older man sat backwards on a chair facing Dean, studying him.

"Is there more of you out there?" He spat. "Is there more cops coming beside you and that lady cop?"

Dean realized they had found his fake badge.

"Let us hunt him, Pa." One of the other men said. "He's a fighter and he'd be fun."

Pa snorted. "Calm down, Jared, we got things to settle before you and Lee get us in more shit."

"Sorry, Pa."

"You gotta be kidding me." Dean muttered still trying to shake the webs from his head.

"Have you ever killed before?" Pa asked Dean.

Dean snorted. "Depends on what you mean?"

"I've hunted my entire life, boy, but nothing makes you feel more powerful alive than killing a human. Watching the light leave their eyes when you hold their lives in your hand." Pa said in a wistful tone.

"You're a sick puppy."

"They all get a fighting chance."

"Very kind of you." Dean rolled his eyes. He gasped and fought to stay conscious as Lee punched him hard. "Do that when I'm not tied up you fucking piece of shit." Dean growled.

"You're only still alive because I need to know who else is out there." Pa hissed and stood up.

"If I tell you, you promise not to make me an ashtray."

"You should show our Pa some respect." Jared grinned disgustingly.

"Respect is not fucking your own sister." Dean muttered. That earned him a back hand from Pa. "Fucking eat me! No, never mind because you actually will."

Jared grabbed Dean's head holding it tightly and Dean screamed and thrashed against the restraints as the elder man set a red hot poker to Dean's right shoulder. It instantly burned through the layers he wore and the smell of burnt flesh filled his nose.

"Tell me what I want to know."

"The light leaving your eyes is what I want to see." Dean pushed out through clenched teeth. He struggled harder.

Pa backed off for just a second. He eyed Dean curiously. Most men would be begging by now. Another thing he enjoyed immensely. Seemed that Dean wasn't most men.

The man in front of him wasn't really afraid for himself but he could fix that. He stepped forward again and poked the still red poker back into the previous wound and dug.

Dean met his eyes and growled in pain but showed nothing else.

"Lee, Jared, kill them all." Pa said with a sinister smile. "No hunt just shoot them all their cage. We have to clean up this mess before any more cops come nosing around.

Dean glared at him his heart pounding and his mind raced. "You can't do that at least give them the chance you gave the others." They had no idea how well Sam and Arandi were trained and they had no idea that Jade was in the barn.

"Pa, I wanted to have some fun with the black haired bitch." Lee licked his lips sinisterly.

Pa saw the flicker of fury and fear in Dean's eyes. "Do whatever you want just clean up properly."

"You harm any of them and I will kill you all!" Dean yelled and pulled at the restraints harder. None of the pain was really there with his body so full of anger and frustration.

He watched helplessly as the two younger men walked out with rifles and Pa and Missy watched him intently.

"I will rip your throat out with my bare hands if you touch her!" Dean screamed louder and struggled harder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam knew that things were bad when the men entered the barn together with rifles. They had to have captured Dean or worse.

He looked over at Arandi and she had the same fear in her eyes.

Lee walked over to Arandi's cage as Jared unlocked the cages with the control panel and the key. "Come out, I'm taking you to your boyfriend."

Sam was relieved to hear his brother was still alive.

"He's my husband." Arandi spit at him.

"Whatever just come on out."

"Arandi?" Sam began. This was all kinds of not good at all.

Arandi eyed Sam but began to move forward anyway. If they had Dean, they had to come up with another plan.

She barely cleared the cage before Lee hit her with a hand held Taser and she fell into his arms unconscious.

"Arandi!" Sam yelled as Lee tied her wrists together then threw her over his shoulder and snickered disgustingly.

He walked out the door with her. Sam stared wide eyed. Jared took his time aiming his rifle between the cages. Teasing Sam and Kathleen with the intent of who would go first. He stepped forward and aimed his rifle at Sam. He fired wide when Jade clocked him with a shovel.

Sam scrambled from the cage. Jared still on his feet just barely dazed hit Jade with the butt of the rifle knocking her out. Sam grabbed for the rifle and it fired twice before Sam head butted Jared and he finally fell on his ass.

Sam then introduced him to the same rifle butt. He rushed to Kathleen's cage and made sure that she could get out before bending to check on Jade.

"I have to go after Arandi." He told Kathleen as he dragged Jared into the cage that he had been in then he walked to the control panel relocked the cages and then busted it to pieces with the rifle. Jared wasn't getting out easily. He lifted Jade into his arms and carried her out of sight to keep her hidden until she came around.

He passed the rifle to Kathleen. It might not be a good idea to go after Arandi without a weapon but he knew once this hillbilly reject didn't show up, someone was going to come looking for him.

"Be careful." He said and then rushed out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pa knew things weren't right when he heard the wild shots. He called out to his sons but neither replied.

"Son of a bitch." He hissed. He grabbed another rifle and started for the door. "Missy, you keep an eye on him."

Missy instantly stepped up to Dean to flash a knife in his face bringing it as close to his eye as she possibly could.

It would just be the grand thing for him to die at the hands of a thirteen-year-old.

He prayed really hard that Sam and the others had been able to save themselves and that was why no one had answered Pa's calls.

Then he heard Arandi scream.

Dean's heart fell and he was filled with fury. It took a lot to take his wife down and that scream….

Missy snickered in his face as she pressed the knife into the burn.

Dean glared at her and groaned in pain. He let his eyes roll and pretended to pass out.

Missy got closer afraid she had pushed too far but her daddy wouldn't be mad at her. The stranger was supposed to die anyway.

She crumpled to the floor with a gasp as Dean came up hard and head butted her with everything he had.

Arandi's scream came again and Dean couldn't take it anymore. He had to get to her before it was too late. He planted his feet as best as he could on the floor and then thrust himself backwards until he hit the stones surround the fireplace. He heard the chair crack and felt the ropes give. It was all he needed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam didn't make it far from the barn before he saw the older man coming. He rushed him and knocked him to the ground but older or not the man was strong and Sam really had to put some muscle into what he was doing.

They fought back and forth one punch after another connecting neither of them going down.

Sam heard Arandi scream and he let his guard down for just a split second. Pa tackled him into the side of the barn and Sam lost his breath.

Sam rolled away and the bullet ricocheted. He scrambled for cover but suddenly Kathleen had Pa on the ground with a rifle butt to the face.

She loomed over him. Sam stood looking from her to the house where Arandi screamed again and Dean shouted in fury. He was alive, thank God.

She nodded to him and Sam took off running. She looked back at the man who she knew without a doubt had killed her brother.

Pa sneered at her. He knew who she was. He had followed the story because he had been upset with Jared and Lee for taking a local with a sister cop. "He begged for you before he died. He tried really hard to stay alive because his sister was a cop. Didn't do him much good now did it?"

Kathleen's chest ached, all the moments lost with her brother because some sick son of a bitch crossed paths with him.

"I promised to uphold the law." She pushed past gritted teeth as hot tears spilled down her face.

Pa laughed loudly. He never knew what regret felt like.

Kathleen pulled the trigger, the bullet to the head silencing the human monster forever. "But I also promised my brother justice." She bit out and moved into the barn. The second blast echoed loudly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam was more than certain that there weren't any more of these sickos or at least he was being hopeful.

He rushed into the house prepared for anything or at least he hoped that he was. He edged around from door to door. The screams had stopped and that made him very scared, he couldn't hear his brother anymore either but he did hear the rifle blasts that came moments apart.

He had wondered which side of Kathleen would win out. The deputy sheriff or the grieving sister? He had his answer now.

Sam came into what look like an old fashioned parlor. There was a young girl with a huge bruise to her forehead unconscious on the floor.

A chair where someone had been tied broken apart with wild determination.

"Dean?" Sam whispered.

There was crashing sounds and a man's far away hoarse cut off scream and then nothing.

Sam moved forward through a long hallway past a bloody kitchen and loads of shelves full of horrors. The door to the basement stood open, a trail of blood led down the stairs.

Sam grabbed a meat cleaver lying close by and crept down the stairs silently. He gasped and stood still at the sight that met him. His knees felt like rubber and he didn't know how to process what he was seeing.

"Dean, oh my God."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	43. WHEN IT RAINS

Warning for mentions of rape.

WHEN IT RAINS

Sam finally broke from the paralysis that had taken hold of him. Dean was kneeling on the dirty bloodied basement floor with Arandi clutched against his chest.

She was wearing nothing but a black tank top and panties, covered in blood, limp against Dean. He was covered in blood too probably a mix of both his and hers and to Sam he had never looked more dangerous.

Sam took a deep breath and took a couple of steps and gasped again. Lee lay close by his body awkwardly twisted, his open eyes staring in shock, his throat completely ripped out. Make that a mix of three bloods.

"Dean?" Sam whispered. Dean had done all of it and Sam wasn't sure how to process it. He had broken loose from a chair, ripped out a man's throat and broken him in two by the looks of it. Arandi had shackles on her wrists and as Sam looked up he could see where they had been ripped from their base in the ceiling. Sam knew that adrenaline rushing through a person's body could do incredible things but still…damn.

Dean's voice made him jump. "I heard her scream." He said in a haunted tone. "I…don't…. I don't know….one-minute I was tied to that chair…...the next…. it's breaking apart beneath me…. I heard her scream…" He shifted around slightly. "He had started taking her clothes off…. he had her…. chained…. like an animal…. she couldn't defend herself…. she tried…. I saw her hanging there and… bleeding…. I lost it Sammy. Ripping his throat out was like sinking a hot knife into soft butter." He gave a slight hysterical laugh. He looked towards the dead man. "I warned him not to touch her. I told him what I would do to him." In an eerie growl.

How could Lee have believed that Dean could do that to him if Sam was having trouble believing it himself and he had known Dean his entire life?

"Dean, we need to get out of here." Sam pushed. He could see the barely there rise and fall of Arandi's chest. He knew Dean was strung out. He moved in front of Dean to help with carrying her. He gasped yet again.

Dean was glassy eyed and fevered looking. Blood ran down his face from a gash above his eye. A nasty looking burn at his left shoulder.

"I'll get her, bro, ok, we gotta get out of here." Sam said soothingly.

"I got her."

"You're hurt, man, I can…."

"I said I got her, Sam." Dean gritted out locking still half crazed eyes with his brother.

Sam backed up. Watched wide eyed as his brother took hold of the iron shackles on Arandi's wrists and ripped them off like they were aluminum.

Somehow Dean did it. His legs shook with the effort but he stood with her in his arms and he started limping towards the stairs.

Sam checked another injury to look after on his mental list.

Back in the foyer of the house. Jade rushed to Dean to see her sister. She stopped and gasped at the state Arandi was in and she looked wildly between the brothers.

"He was going to rape her." Dean said in a robotic tone. "He isn't going to hurt anyone anymore."

"None of them are." Kathleen appeared from the parlor. None of it was fazing her. Yet. She had handcuffed Missy and gagged her because she wouldn't stop screaming. "I have to fix things, I doubt anyone is going to believe anything that she says, I have no idea how I'm going to explain this but I'm going to do my best. I'm sure once they see all the people that died at these monsters hands that their deaths aren't going to matter at all."

Outside it was dark and cold already, the chill sifting through the open front doors.

"I need you to go." Kathleen blurted. "The story I tell isn't going to involve you. I'm going to weave a wild one but it won't take the other deputies long to get here. The state police will be here within an hour. You have to go now." They had all been through enough.

"Dean and Arandi need medical help now." Sam argued as he towered over her.

Kathleen didn't intimidate easily.

"I know, Sam, I can see that but if you stay here and they get a hold of any of you they aren't going to let you go anytime soon and they will separate all of you." Somehow Kathleen knew that wouldn't be a good thing.

"No!" Dean barked out loudly making them all jump.

"Ok, I'll see if I can hot wire a car."

Dean shook his head as if suddenly remembering something important. "All the cars have been scrapped. All the tires missing even the cruiser."

"Crap, you can't walk far like this. Jade, how did you get here?"

"I hitched a ride from some lady with ten dogs after I gave her a great sob story?"

"I'll get as far as I need to." Dean said stubbornly.

"Go down the drive way and turn right. It's a three mile walk and a long drive way but Doc Baker and his wife live there. He's retired but he was a doctor for over forty years. They can help just tell him Lil' Kathleen sent you."

Dean started for the door.

"It's cold out there, we should find a cover or something." Sam started to look around.

"I don't want anything from this place to ever touch her again." Dean snarled.

Jade pulled off her warm plaid shirt and wrapped it the best that she could around her sister's legs. She still had on her brown Henley.

Kathleen saw her police jacket hanging from a hat rack and passed it to Jade. She would never wear it again since it had been touched by evil. Jade did her best to work it over Arandi's shoulders. She could feel Dean's body trembling and the intense heat that radiated from him.

Dean looked at Kathleen. "I'm sorry about your brother."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and gave a slight nod as her eyes teared up. "I always thought it would be easier to know what happened to him but it's really not."

Dean gave her another nod and moved out the doors. Sam and Jade followed close behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kathleen gave them enough time to clear the drive way before she started making calls. She was glad they hadn't destroyed her radio. She had to piece her story together but since she had a head wound they would probably give her some slack. She had no idea how to explain the broken brother in the basement. All she could come up with was saying they had turned on each other fighting over her and things got ugly.

Her own gun hadn't been fired. She left it on the table where she found it. She didn't want it anymore either. She busied herself making sure to get rid of anything and everything that might clue in the police on the involvement of the brothers and their wives.

When she found the Polaroids and spotted her brother she began to sob uncontrollably and then threw up. She wanted so badly to pocket the picture but she left it with the others.

She wondered if she would ever feel whole again. For now, she still had a job to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked close to his brother to catch him if he began to fall. He tripped up a couple of times but he kept going. Determination or stubbornness maybe a strong combination of both or just the fact that if anything happened to Arandi nothing would ever be the same.

Sam could hear him whispering to her. She had yet to wake but Sam could see the shivers coursing through her body. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

He had no idea how Dean was still on his feet. Anyone in even half the state he was in would have been begging for mercy or dead. Sam was near the end himself and he wasn't nearly as hurt as his brother. He was starving and thirsty, exhausted beyond means, had some bumps and bruises but otherwise fine.

Jade was looking green but she trudged along too. Terrified for her sister and really tired of the life but unable to let it go. If they stopped hunting monsters like the Benders how would they live with themselves.

Sam nearly sobbed out loud when he saw the entrance to the Baker place. Somehow in their state they had made the three-mile trek. The sirens had been loud for a few minutes behind them since they were going in the opposite direction.

"Where's the Impala anyway?" Sam finally asked Jade.

"It's parked at the police station of all places in visitor parking. Hopefully Kathleen will be able to steer any suspicion away from it till we get to it."

They had barely moved past the gate when it started raining. Pouring down buckets of cold, cold rain. Lighting flashed across the sky.

Sam heard Dean give a hysterical laugh and kept on moving. They didn't expect anything less with their luck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The mantra in Dean's head looped over and over. Arandi needed help and he had to keep going even though his body was pleading for rest. He knew he had a fever. The burn at his shoulder kept rhythm with his racing heart as well as the throbbing ache of his head.

Arandi moaned softly and he whispered to her that she was safe now. He apologized for not keeping her safe. She didn't make another sound.

He could feel Sam close behind him. He knew that his brother was expecting him to fall at any moment but Sam just didn't get Dean's utter resilient stubbornness. Probably never would. When someone he loved needed help Dean couldn't shut down until they were safe again. Completely safe.

He wouldn't fall, he wouldn't let his body give until he got them all to safety. He couldn't help but give a disbelieving bark of laughter when he felt the pouring rain begin.

It wasn't like they didn't have enough obstacles to deal with. A flash of lightning crossed the sky and Dean blinked hard and echo of Arandi's scream still caught in his mind.

He felt the rain washing away some of the blood. He would never forget the look in the Bender son's eyes as his life slipped away. It was the wrong Bender but the satisfaction had been all the same.

He saw the porch light in the distance and he focused on it and made himself keep moving.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harold Baker heard the clatter of hard rain against his roof and he gave a small shudder. He was glad that he was sitting toasty warm in front of his fireplace. Very glad that he and his wife had done all their shopping the day before. Enough food for a year it seemed because when you raise seven kids it's hard to break the habit of buying in bulk.

He looked at the time. It was pretty close to midnight and he was usually in bed by nine but he hadn't felt very sleepy this night. The ache of the changing weather in his bones.

His wife Bernice was already upstairs but probably reading, waiting for him. He smiled fondly. They were well past the fifty-year mark and counting. He still loved her like the day he married her and every day was still an adventure.

Their black and white cat Oreo sat up and tilted his head toward the front door.

They used to have a dog but he had gotten snake bit and Bernice had been so sad at the loss that Harold just thought it best not to get attached to another one.

Oreo gave a little hiss and padded closer to the door. It was then that Harold heard the thump and unmistakable foot falls on their porch.

"Who in God's name would be out in this weather?" Harold huffed. He stood up and walked to the heavy wooden door and listened. Heavy curtains lined all the windows so no one could see inside.

The tentative knock came a moment later.

Harold had never been a small man. Even now in his early seventies he stood at six three and still considered himself pretty damn strong. After being a trauma doctor and having his own practice he had seen just about everything.

Not much shocked him even less scared him. Bernice would have his ass for opening the door at that time of night.

He was a bit taken a back to find a man even taller than himself in the doorway but he didn't look dangerous at all. In fact, he looked like a half drowned puppy, a very, very large puppy, but still a puppy.

"I know it's late." The man stammered holding his hands out in front of him. "But we have an emergency."

Harold realized that he wasn't alone. He could make out the shadows of at least two more behind the stranger. "I can call 911 for you."

"Please." Another man stumbled forward. His eyes bright and wide. "She needs help now."

Harold stared. The man held a very injured young woman in his arms and Harold had no idea how the man was even standing. He was hurt soaked to the bone and so there was still a couple of ways to shock him.

"Lil' Kathleen told us you could help." The large puppy spoke again. His eyes pleading.

"Lil' Kathleen?" Harold came out of his stupor. She would never send danger to his door. She had practically grown up with his own children. He stepped aside and ushered them inside. Another young woman appeared. "What in the world happened to you?"

"Your neighbors." The young woman responded angrily.

"The Benders? I always knew those bastards were bad news. They always gave my Bernice goose flesh."

In the light the injuries stood out even more.

"Come this way." Harold moved towards double doors and slid them open. There was more than one single bed in the room and some medical stuff. "Some of my older patients don't want to find new doctors so I see them on the side." Harold shrugged.

He flipped a switch and bright lights came on blinding everyone for a moment.

Harold moved back toward the doors. At the top of his lungs he called out. "Bernice!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harold had met some stubborn people in his lifetime and that included himself but this young green eyed man was probably top contender for the world title.

Barely able to stand on his own steam, he insisted on everyone else being taken care of first and that included the huge puppy who at the most had a couple of bruises and scratches. He also seemed a bit dehydrated. From the exchanges between them he figured they were brothers and the young women were sisters and their wives.

"I can call you green eyes or your name." Harold said with a smile trying to ease the tension a bit.

"Dean." He said not taking his eyes off of the still unconscious woman.

"Ok, Dean, I'm going to take care of your young lady and you should sit down before you face plant."

"Doc?" The puppy spoke. "Don't waste your breath. He's not going to leave her side. Name's Sam by the way."

"I was just going to call you puppy but ok." Harold chuckled. "Stubborn?"

Sam rolled his eyes and nodded in the affirmative.

Bernice was bustling around the room gathering things. She had been a nurse for as long as Harold had been a doctor so she was used to just about everything too. She cajoled Dean onto a stool and wrapped a thick blanket around his shoulders and laid another across his lap. She needed to get him dry but he wasn't budging otherwise.

She had barely blinked when she same rushing downstairs to find out why Harold was hollering for her. She didn't see any danger; all she saw was hurt children.

Harold always poked fun at her that anyone under the age of thirty were children in her eyes. That benefited her though in their line of work Bernice could calm the highest strung person out there.

She brought a basin of warm water and antiseptic soap with a handful of wash clothes. She looked warmly at Dean. "Honey, I'm going to wash her up ok? Get her cleaned up so that Harold can see how badly she's hurt. I'm gonna have to cut her shirt off but I'll make sure she's covered proper. I have some of my daughter's stuff upstairs once we're done I'll get her warmed up and resting."

Dean finally lifted his eyes. "Please be careful. She's been through enough. Thank you."

Bernice nodded. She had already sent Sam and Jade off to shower and change into clothes that she kept around just for such emergencies. Which in all honesty she had never really expected. Not anything like this anyway.

Dean watched as Bernice gently washed away the blood and dirt. In the back ground Harold had turned on their police scanner and the horrors being discovered at the Bender place were coming out one by one.

Harold and Bernice exchanged glances.

"We would have been their last victims." Sam said from the doorway Oreo purring contentedly in his arms. Freshly clean and in an overly large hoodie and sweats he looked just a tad more dangerous. "They had gotten Kathleen too. We deal with stuff like this a lot, they didn't expect that. Kathleen didn't take kindly to what they had done to her brother and she didn't want us lost in some mindless system because we had stopped more people from dying horribly. That's why she sent us your way."

Bernice nodded tersely, her lips trembling slightly. "My sister went missing when she turned seventeen. We never knew what happened to her but I always suspected they had something to do with it. The Benders have lived here forever. We lived on the other side or them then."

"I'm sorry." Dean whispered. He looked about to keel over.

"For what, sweetheart, you probably weren't even born yet."

Dean blinked and gave a slight little shrug. He winced at the pull of his shoulder.

Bernice got busy. She knew she had to get this done before he did pass out.

Dean stared blankly as he watched her move. Sam made himself useful mopping up the trail of rain water and mud they had tracked in and then had settled in a seat close to Dean. Jade dozed on another bed, Oreo now curled up next to her.

Sam managed to get Dean to half undress himself since his clothes were soaked and even though they were in the warmth of the house now wet jeans were a pain in the ass. The top shirt came off but the Henley and undershirt were stuck in the burn.

Dean's eyes began to tear as the washing began to reveal cuts on Arandi's thighs and belly. Thankfully they had stopped bleeding heavily and none were dangerously deep, she had still lost a lot of blood.

"She's anemic." Dean whispered. "I…. she's…...I."

Bernice gently patted his hand. "Don't you worry, she's in the best of hands."

The rain continued all night and the day broke cloudy and miserable. Harold had finally finished stitching the last cut on Arandi and had put her on an IV. He was able to transfuse some blood from Jade to help her out a bit.

Bernice had cleaned Arandi up entirely. Even washed her hair without getting the bed wet.

She rubbed some cream onto the freshly stitched wounds and raw wrists. "Home remedy." She said to Dean. "She won't have a single scar." After that they took her vitals and with a hand from Jade they got Arandi into some warmer clothes and then tucked her under some blankets.

"Now, young man, you have nothing to protest about." Bernice said evenly.

Dean stood up and shuffled towards the exam table and jumped up with a groan and wince.

"It's a wonder men aren't extinct." She grumbled. "Give an old woman a thrill, sweetheart."

It was the first time in the entire time that Dean even cracked half a smile as Bernice pulled the blanket off of him.

"Be still my heart. If you can do that the way you look now I can just imagine when you're running on all cylinders."

"Bernice, I'm right here, sweetheart." Harold chuckled.

"You can't blame a woman for looking." Bernice winked at Sam. "Ok, Sam, these shirts are stuck to that burn so I'm going to cut around them and then I'm going to have to pull those pieces out and that is not going to be a picnic."

"Had worse." Dean mumbled.

Bernice looked a bit wide eyed at Sam. He only shrugged.

"Do I want to know?"

"Doubt it."

Bernice got to work while Harold prepared to do what he could to the burn to help it heal.

Dean barely even flinched as they worked. They were sure it was shock.

"The old man used the poker on me. Then the daughter poked a knife in there and twisted it over and over."

"Dear God." Sam whispered as helped get the ruined shirts off of his brother.

"Dean, look at me." Bernice said softly. She had been a nurse long enough to get the sense of things.

Dean lifted his eyes to her slowly.

It broke her heart to see the sorrow and pain that no one that young should know. "Sweetie, tell me how you feel?" She asked and reached to touch his forehead. He was burning up.

"I feel…. not….so…. good." He slurred.

"Sam!" Bernice cried out and Sam moved just as Dean's eyes rolled. He fell hard against Sam and began to seize.

"His fever is too high. I'll get the ice." Harold said and he rushed from the room.

Sam hit his knees and did what he could to keep his brother from more injury. Praying under his breath that enough was enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean shivered hard when they finally got the fever down to safe numbers. The ice had done its trick but it had left Dean more miserable.

Bernice and Harold finished up the injury check and fix while Dean remained unconscious. Including pulling a chunk of wood from the back of his right knee. Sam wasn't sure he wanted to know how that happened.

"What's the story with the tattoos you all have?" Harold asked Sam.

"Protection." Sam answered simply.

"Against what?"

"Better if you don't know."

"Alrighty then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nearly an entire day later everyone had caught up on sleep and Dean and Arandi were still out cold side by side with cajoling from Sam. Oreo curled up by Dean's head.

Bernice checked her patients and got ready to make some homemade soup and fresh bread for the weary.

It had been a long time since she had had to cook for more than two. It had been hard for her when all her little ones grew up way too fast and moved onto their own lives.

This might seem like a burden to others but to her it was a small reward. This little crew that were so easy to fall in love with even though she barely knew a thing about them.

Harold was content to have someone to actually give him challenge at chess with Sam.

The weather remained nasty.

The news was rampant now about the Bender place and Kathleen was getting high praise for breaking a huge case wide opened and so far the number had reached a little over two hundred different victims remains found and left to be named. Years and years of horror. Generations it seemed.

Bernice felt ill to think all this was happening just a few miles away from their home, while their children grew up. One of her sons had even been friends with one of the Bender boys until Mark had come home upset that the Bender boy had killed a dog for no reason.

It was hard to stomach that people could be that sick and not just one of them but entire generations of them.

Bernice startled a bit when she found Dean leaning heavily at the kitchen doorway. He was favoring his left arm and still very pale.

"Can I get some water, please?" He asked hoarsely.

"Oh, sweetheart, you didn't have to get up." Bernice scolded. "You pulled the IV and everything."

"Sorry."

"Get back to that bed before I forget I'm not your mother."

"You give her a run for her money." Dean shuffled away.

"Damn straight I do." Bernice mumbled. She grabbed a glass and put son ice in and water and went after Dean.

She should have known Dean wasn't asking for himself.

The most amazing blue eyes looked at her tiredly. "I really need to go to the bathroom before I drink that."

"Would you like me to help you?"

"I can do that." Dean jumped in immediately.

"I can pee by myself, love."

"But you…. I just…. I'm going with you so deal."

"Arandi? That's your name?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh dear none of that ma'am business in my home. It's Bernice."

"Yes, Bernice." Arandi smiled.

Bernice winked at Dean. "Well, no wonder you're so smitten." She finally got a full blinding smile and she felt a little weak kneed. "I'm making some soup and fresh bread. I'll bring you some in an hour or so."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They ate closer to the fire place because it was really getting cold. Their home a bit older didn't have the central heat. Just the gas heaters throughout the house and three fire places.

It was cozy.

Arandi only ate a couple of bites even as Dean tried to coax her for just one more. He didn't eat much more than her either.

Sam was already on his third bowl or Bernice might have taken offence.

"If you need us to go we can use your phone." Dean said suddenly. "They took our cell phones."

"You're still my patients and you're not going anywhere until I see fit." Harold said sternly.

Dean chuckled softly. "Now I know what it would have been like to have a grandpa."

Sam laughed too.

"This grandpa still believes in switches."

Dean coughed. "You wouldn't hit a sick man."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bernice and Harold made the rounds of the house for the night. It was a house that they had raised seven children in but once they had moved on they had never had the heart to move out. It was way too big for two people but it was their home.

Sam and Jade were out for the night and they only had Dean and Arandi left to check on before calling it a night.

They stopped in the doorway. Dean leaned back against the wall with Arandi up against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"It wasn't your fault, Dean. Please stop blaming yourself."

"I should have told you to wait for me."

"If this hadn't have happened they would still be killing. In a way it was for the best."

"Not what happened to you? Not what the fucker was planning on doing to you." Dean hissed fiercely. "Hey, don't cry." He changed his tone instantly. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I want to forget it, please let me forget it." Arandi sobbed softly.

"Ok, ok, just please stop crying before Bernice has my nuts."

Bernice almost laughed out loud but hearing the soft chuckle from Arandi made her suck it in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bernice made her way downstairs. She was having trouble sleeping and she needed at least six hours to feel herself. It was already three in the a.m.

A nice glass of warm milk would do the trick.

She stopped at the foot of the steps when she noticed the light of the moon dancing across the floor. She knew that she had closed the curtains tight so …

"I'm sorry if I woke you." Dean's voice cut through the shadows.

Bernice moved forward and found Dean staring out into the night from the huge bay window. "I haven't been to sleep yet, dear. Join me for some warm milk?"

Dean smiled and Bernice led the way to the kitchen. She remembered how her heart always skipped when Harold had smiled at her when they were first courting. It still did on some occasions because she loved her husband more and more with each passing day.

Dean's smile had to have made a lot of women hearts palpitate especially when it was genuine. She was no spring chicken but that smile even got to her.

She could envision the many broken hearts that he left behind once they saw he had eyes for only one. The same could be said for Arandi. Their worlds revolved around each other.

She set the pot on the stove as Dean sat at the table. She pulled the milk poured a generous amount in and then cut two slices of cherry pie and quickly nuked them in the microwave while she put the milk back and grabbed the whipped cream.

Everything on the table once the milk was perfect she sat across from Dean. "So tell me how you and Arandi met."

He beamed. "We didn't actually meet." He then went on to explain the fantastic way they were born at the same time and went on from there.

Bernice listened and ate. Completely enthralled with the story of the two brothers and two sisters that had been born under such magical circumstances.

"Well if anyone was ever meant to be." She chuckled.

Dean grew somber. "I love her too much it seems sometimes. What that monster was going to do to her I just…."

Bernice startled as Dean's nearly empty glass of milk cracked and hers began to tremble.

He noticed and ducked his head.

Bernice reached across the table and took his hand. "You can never love anyone too much. Not if it's true love and not obsession. You treat her like your equal and you adore each other. Don't doubt that."

"I can't lose her." He barely whispered. "This life… we can't walk away until things are fixed and I could have lost her."

The second glass cracked.

Bernice pretended not to notice. "Fix what?"

"Very long, very complicated story better left unspoken."

"Ok then." She yawned. "I had better try to get my beauty sleep." She stood up grabbed the plates and washed them quickly along with the forks and casually tossed both glasses in the trash as if it was the most normal thing in the world. She walked up to Dean where he now stood at the doorway waiting. She tenderly touched his face and he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, sighing. "I wish I could snap my fingers and make everything right, sweetheart."

"Me too." He opened his eyes and Bernice made herself believe it was the bright moonlight that made his eyes nearly glow as she made her way back upstairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat up on the bed slowly trying not wake anyone else. He had had a bad dream and he wasn't going to be able to sleep anymore. He stood up and started to make his way towards the kitchen when he noticed that Dean wasn't with Arandi.

He found his brother staring out the living room bay window after opening the curtains wide. He was gently rubbing at his injured shoulder.

"Dean?" Sam whispered.

Dean blinked as if he was waking up but didn't turn to look at his brother. "Yeah, Sammy?"

"You ok?"

Dean huffed. "You have got to stop asking me that?"

"Only if you stop getting hurt every other day."

"Sign me up for that program."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Dean sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He dropped his forehead against the cool glass of the window. "Are you sure you wanted to be a lawyer, Dr. Phil?"

Sam shuffled closer. "What happened at the Bender place wasn't like you at all. I get that you are Arandi's protector but Dean you ripped out a man's throat with your bare hands…"

"That bastard wasn't a man." Dean growled.

"Beside the point. You showed inhuman strength when you broke him like an action figure."

Dean finally turned to look at him.

Sam took a step back. It had to be the full moon in the sky that made his brother's eyes nearly glow.

"You called Kathleen?" Dean accused.

"She called here to check on everyone. She was just as shocked by the autopsy. She had no idea where to even begin explaining it. She managed to cover our tracks pretty damn well."

"Nothing but adrenalin. End of story. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same for Jade?"

The porch light shattered out.

Sam licked his lips. "Yeah I guess you're right." He caved before they had to replace every piece of glass in the entire house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nearly two weeks later. Bernice was thrilled to still have her company. They needed a place to reorganize and recuperate and Harold loved the company, so did Oreo.

Arandi was healing well and Dean was doing well too but often Bernice found them deep in thought. They both still had some bridges to burn.

Sam called their moms to tell them that they were lying low. He decided to leave out the Benders although Bernice would probably love the extra company.

The Impala made a mysterious appearance one morning. She was just parked in front of the Baker home. Clean and a full tank of gas. Dean knew it was Kathleen's doing since his gun was tucked under the seat.

He found a small paper bag with Bernice's name on it. He didn't have to look inside to know what it held.

He took it to her and Bernice took it looking into his misty green eyes. "I'm sorry." He said and hugged her hard before leaving her alone with the bag.

Bernice opened it slowly and began to cry. The necklace she had given her sister so long ago laid inside. She had been wearing it in the picture they had used for the missing person's report so Kathleen knew where it belonged.

She had always suspected, knowing for sure hardly eased the pain.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Bakers came to know their guests little by little as they opened up at dinner every night. They knew that they were leaving a big chunk out but that was their right.

Bernice never thought she would meet two people more in love than her and Harold. She knew she was wrong now.

Before they knew what was happening Dean and Sam had fixed just about everything in the entire house that needed fixing. Their car was purring.

Bernice found Arandi baking every kind of pie possible one day.

"I bake when I'm upset. I'll pay for everything I used."

Bernice had laughed. "Are you kidding? Harold is probably going to try to win you from Dean now."

Arandi blushed.

"What's upsetting you, dear?"

"I shouldn't have been taken so easily. I was trained better than that. I can't stop thinking about it and telling Dean well he just blames himself."

"You were trained for things like that?" Bernice asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah, sort of."

"Why would your parents do that to you?"

"Miss Bernice, you were touched by darkness when you were young when your sister disappeared and you managed to avoid it the rest of your life. We try to protect people from that darkness."

"Child, that's a burden no one should have to carry."

Arandi shrugged and looked at Bernice with more knowledge in her eyes than someone that age should have. "You can't turn back once that door is opened. You just can't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a rare occasion that Arandi was alone. Finding her in the kitchen going full on chef, Jade slipped in beside her and started helping.

Her sister eyed her and smiled and they fell into sync.

"I'm here if you need to talk." Jade dropped.

"I don't think I can just yet." Arandi murmured. "I can't imagine where we would be now if Dean had been even a minute longer."

Jade noticed Arandi wipe a tear away quickly. She acted as if she hadn't noticed.

"It worked out though. Right?"

"We're all alive and almost fully functional so yeah."

Jade knew she was treading dangerous ground but she had to make her sister got that she was only human and not a robotic ninja. "You were drunk and you hadn't eaten or drank anything for nearly two days, Arandi. You are not invincible and it's not your fault."

Arandi growled. She grabbed a potato and tossed it at the wall followed closely by the huge butcher knife. Jade stared at the potato as it sliced in half slowly falling to the floor from the knife still vibrating in the wall.

She went back to what she had been doing. "Show off." She muttered.

Arandi rolled her eyes. Her sister meant well but if she couldn't tell Dean she couldn't tell anyone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They lasted a month and the Bakers were sad to see them go, Oreo searched for them everywhere.

In a month the Winchesters had touched them like they didn't think possible. Nearly the same ache of when each of their children had left.

The house was eerily quiet now and Harold stared at his chess board longingly.

They started to go to bed early and they still had pie to remind them of what they had barely touched.

They were startled awake one night by crashing noise downstairs and for just a moment Bernice thought they had returned but the rude cursing voices and her valuables being ransacked told her different.

They were thinking about where to hide and trying to call 911 when their bedroom door was kicked in and wild eyed men walked in and dragged them downstairs.

There were seven of them all together. Five men and two women. All they had heard was that a doctor lived in the house and they automatically thought a free drug score.

"I'm retired." Harold told them as they tore apart the makeshift emergency room.

One of the men grabbed Bernice by the hair making her cry out. "You're a doctor so write some prescriptions."

"I just told you I'm retired." Harold hollered.

The man yanked on Bernice again opened his mouth to say something else a whoosh and nothing but Bernice's hair fluffing out gave a sign of what had just happened.

The man fell to the ground twitching a throwing knife protruding from his throat.

The others panicked and one turned a gun to Harold.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Dean's voice said out of the shadows. "Christo."

The eyes of the man holding the gun slid to solid black and the others freaked.

"What the fuck, J Dogg?"

"J Dogg is dead, moron." The demon hissed.

"He found the drugs and didn't share." One of the woman accused.

"World class crew you chose." Dean said as he leaned against the wall casually.

"Come any closer and I will kill the old man."

Dean moved fast with the second throwing knife and the gun flew across the floor. The demon chased after but came to halt by some invisible force.

"Hidden devil's trap." Sam said as he stepped into the light.

The other men tried to run for it and came up against two straight to the face round houses from Arandi and Jade.

The women ran the other way but Arandi did a beautiful flip in the air and landed in front of them and with a double punch knocked them out.

Dean and Sam began the exorcism together.

Harold and Bernice held onto each other as they watched the black smoke swirl away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean made them coffee his way.

"How did you know?" Harold asked.

"The weather pattern. Certain weather patterns mean demon activity." Sam explained.

"We're sorry." Dean sighed. "It was looking for us. Grabbed on to the first dumb ass that was willing to kill for drugs to make it look more believable."

"This is what you really do? What those tattoos protect you against?" The four hunters nodded.

"Oh God, you're too young for so much." Bernice moaned.

"Are you going to kill them all?"

"The man with the demon was already dead. That one I killed was wanted for killing his girlfriend and little boy for a bottle of Vicodin. The other's we left at the police station Batman style." Dean offered.

Bernice and Harold exchanged glances. "I'll go warm up some pie." She said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Winchester's stuck around three more days. The warded the house the best they could, on the third day the Baker's oldest son Mark called. He was also a doctor in the big city.

Bernice and Harold listened in shock as Mark told them that he was tired of the city he would explain to them face to face why and wanted to open a practice where his dad had had his.

He wanted to know if they could make a go of living in the old house together. His wife and three kids, two dogs and a cat.

The Bakers were thrilled. Bernice looked at Dean and he smiled and winked.

"If I didn't know better I would think you had something to do with this."

"We'll stop in for pie whenever we pass through." Was Dean's reply.

Bernice and Harold would never forget the blessings that came to them one rainy cold night.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	44. BACK TO ME

Warnings for brief mentions of non con.

BACK TO ME

Dean and Arandi ran side by side. Neither spoke as they jogged down the trail leading to the cabin where they were crashing for a little while. They were both lost in thought for their own reasons.

The coolness of the colder weather kept them from sweating profusely. They breathed evenly in perfect sync.

They weren't really sure if it was Bobby's or Rufus's cabin but they were there to get back in shape after being on their asses at the Bakers. Not to mention getting past the funk they found themselves in.

There was so much to contend with, so much to pull through for all of them but especially Arandi.

They had done ten miles with hardly a harsh breath so they weren't all that out of shape.

Dean knew though that it was about more than that.

Sam and Jade were outside of the cabin where Sam was grilling some freshly caught fish from the lake behind the cabin while Jade worked on the sides.

"They are biting like mad." Sam grinned.

Dean and Arandi went in to shower and change before eating. It had been nearly two months and yeah, they cuddled and hugged even kissed but she stopped anything else.

He was getting frustrated. He hadn't gone that long without since before he knew what going without meant. He didn't push it though. He was sure that she was dealing with the flashbacks of the Bender sicko. He tried to tell her that he wasn't thinking differently about her in any way. Arandi would just shake her head and walk away.

Dean was dealing with what he had done too. The fucker deserved to die but Dean tearing him apart was still cause for some thought. Which he chose to deal with alone. It wasn't like he knew where to even start that conversation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He woke one morning alone in bed. He knew that Sam and Jade had planned to go into town and visit a museum and then shop for groceries and other things for their stay.

They had planned to lay low for another couple of weeks. Work outs and training until they felt at their best again.

He was washing his face and brushing his teeth when the lights flickered and he heard a dull groan of pain from Arandi. He bolted out the door and outside expecting an attack of some kind. Instead he stopped short and was instantly pissed.

Arandi was sitting straddling a bench in shorts and a tank top even though it was near forty degrees. She was wet and had a stripped wire shocking herself.

"What the fuck, Arandi?"

She glared at him. "None of it would have happened if I had been able to take the shock of the Taser."

"Are you serious? Do you remember me nearly dying because of electricity and water?"

"That was a hundred thousand volts, that Taser wasn't even half of half of that."

"I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"Just leave me alone."

"Have you met me? No, I'm not going to leave you alone." He rushed up to her and grabbed the wire. He felt the shock thrum through him and he gritted his teeth.

"See you can take it." She growled angrily.

"I'm six inches taller than you and outweigh you by sixty pounds."

"Stop making excuses!"

"Stop acting like your messing up once is the end of the world! My God, Arandi, we weren't even hunting. We were out having a good time. We all let our guard down because we were all together."

She tried to move past him but Dean pulled her back. He wasn't quite expecting the punch to the jaw that had him seeing stars.

He stared at her and blocked two more punches. Then two kicks and he shoved her back. "Cut your shit." He growled. His own anger thrumming like a different type of current.

"Or what, Dean? You gonna show me how it's done?" She taunted.

He rolled his eyes and started to walk away. His legs got swept out from under him and he hit the ground hard. He turned his body fast and kipped up.

He knew they were both going to regret this but it was too late to turn back. He threw three punches she blocked the first two and the third glanced off her cheek.

He grabbed her arm and flipped her onto the ground but she held tight and flipped him before he could maintain his grip.

She rolled to her feet coming at him with swift kicks but he blocked them all while still on his knees and then he flipped jumped to his feet and continued into a round house at the same time she did one. There legs connecting with jarring impact they both fell to the ground but were up in seconds.

Dean cracked his neck and took a fighting stance. She stood opposite of him in a similar stance. She lunged at him with a solid punch to his sternum followed by three quick jabs to his kidneys. His elbow connected to the back of her head and she stumbled forward but caught herself quickly and came at him again.

He punched her solid in the face and didn't flinch when her lip started to bleed. She licked it, her eyes going dark.

How the hell was he supposed to get her to understand that everyone had to face defeat eventually? Yeah it had almost cost her, her life but she had been drinking at the bar and she had been walking with Sam never expecting anything to happen because they weren't even on a hunt. Then at the barn she hadn't eaten in two days and had been terribly dehydrated. She probably had a concussion with no sleep so her succumbing to the Taser was natural.

The fucker had chained her up before she regained consciousness and just because Dean had ripped the shit to pieces with his bare hands didn't mean everyone could.

Dean didn't want to do this but she was pushing every button. He would rather chop off his nuts than hurt her in any way but she was going to keep hurting herself until she risked her life and a hurt Arandi was better than a dead Arandi.

He couldn't just let her win. She would hate him and that was a knife better left untwisted.

She came at him again and he grabbed her arm as she punched and yanked it behind her back. She went with it flipping up and wrapping her legs around his neck but he still had her arm so he fell back and she had to let go.

She was up before him came at him with knee to the face but Dean crossed his hands and blocked it. She might have been lighter than him but he could still move.

He stood up and she punched with each hand and he caught both fists spinning her around trapping her arms in his. She surged forward running up the side of the cabin and flipped over his back. She planted a swift kick in the middle of his back and shoved him into the cabin.

Something sharp cut into him but he was too pissed to care, he turned and just as she came up on another round house he caught her legs and twisted his upper body downwards and slammed her to the ground.

He heard her grunt from the impact. In a breath he straddled her thighs and pinned her hands over her head. She kicked and struggled, tried to head butt him but it was useless.

She finally stopped moving breathing hard, tears streamed down to the ground.

He pinned both hands with one of his and grabbed her face with the other. "Look at me!"

She glared at him.

"That, that right there, that stupid fucking misdirected pent up anger is what's going to get you killed and take me with you. You are one of the best fighters in the world, Arandi. You know that, I know that, but if you keep this shit up, letting some good for nothings' taking you down when you were less than a hundred percent eat you alive, you're never going to be that fighter again."

He let her go. He stood up and walked into the woods and left her where she lay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He walked for a long time. He really needed to clear his head and once his anger left him the guilt was going to impact him like a semi.

He knew it was for good reason but he had hurt Arandi. If it got to his mom she would lay into him like nobody's business.

"Son of a bitch!" He screamed and punched a tree. Ok that was stupid. His knuckles throbbed and started to bleed.

He walked on a bit further until he came to a clearing with a boulder. He sat down and leaned back against it. He closed his eyes and just listened to the sounds around him as he massaged the ache from his sore hand. The warmth of the sun on his skin undermined by the cold breeze that gusted every few minutes. It felt like the softest caress on his face.

He was getting cold. He'd come into the woods with just a t-shirt and jeans and his t-shirt was clinging to him so he pulled at it and winced.

He lifted his black t-shirt to look at his stomach. Blood was still pulsing from a cut. There must have been something protruding from the cabin that stabbed him.

He pressed his hand against it. It wasn't going to kill him but it still hurt especially with the cold. He pressed harder. He wanted to stop the bleeding before he headed back.

He was hungry, thirsty, achy, and a million other things. Normal life, sure sign him up with health benefits and a 401k.

He closed his eyes for just a second.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi sat outside the cabin even as the chill of the evening crept up. She could be warm and toasty by the fireplace but if Dean was out there and cold then she would be too. She had gone inside just long enough to put on jeans, a black hoodie, and her sneakers.

She had started after him half a dozen times but turned around and came back. She knew she had pushed it, hurt the only person that would end the world for her.

He would come back when he was ready. A super tracker like Dean didn't do lost. She just wished that he was wearing warmer clothes and had at least eaten breakfast.

She was such a fuck up. Was she just determined to push and push until Dean really did say enough of this shit? He had been there for her like always. Doing things, inhuman things to save her and all she could see was how she had been knocked down not once but twice by the Wrong turn rejects.

Granted the first time there had been more than one of them and she had been well on her way to drunk and thinking about what her Dean were going to be doing when they got back to the room.

Sam had been singing animatedly beside her and she had snorted with laughter and eventually joined him then she was falling and Sam fell with her. The strong smell of something making her gag then she didn't remember anything until they woke up in the cage hours later. No food, no water, and a pounding headache.

The roar of the Impala coming close made her head hurt, her stomach lurch with anxiousness.

Now she had to explain to Sam why his brother wasn't there and feel even worse than she already did.

Sam and Jade got out of the car laughing but took one look at her and she blinked away tears. So much for being the toughest of the tough.

Her cheek was bruised, her lip busted and she had pushed the man she loved to do it all.

He was out there eaten up with guilt because that was just typical Dean.

"I'm sorry." Was all she managed to tell Sam before she fell apart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stood at the very edge of the cliff the toes of his boots hanging past the brink. Rocks and dirt scattered downward into a brush covered ravine.

If he jumped. They would probably never find his body.

"Jump." The voice said in his head. "Jump and you will never have to hurt again."

Dean smiled numbly. He kept staring into the ravine. Arandi would never forgive herself.

"You know you want to jump and end all your misery."

"Actually I don't." He mumbled and reached up fast with both hands. He looked at his clenched hands where he now held two three inch creatures with wings that looked like a dragon fly. He rolled his eyes. It was definitely Rufus's cabin and Dean had found the tree sprites. "You know my life can be pretty crappy sometimes but I don't want to die. I have people that love me and I save lives."

The sprites struggled in his grasp. Dean moved back and away from the cliff.

He didn't have the silver he needed to kill them. He wasn't too thrilled about crushing them either and besides there had to be more.

He could see that it had gotten dark so that meant that he had been away from the cabin the entire day. His stomach's loud growl also reminded him of that.

He felt tiny teeth sink into his thumb. He did have one piece of silver on him. His wedding ring which was probably why the sprite had bit him because his ring was touching it.

It took some maneuvering and he had to stuff a sprite in his pocket but Dean got the ring off his finger and slipped it around the now screaming sprite.

In a few seconds it puffed into tiny sparks of colorful dust. He did the same to the second sprite and got some more bites for his efforts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Only Dean Winchester can walk into the woods to take a walk and find a hunt." Sam scoffed. He had managed to track his brother since Dean hadn't attempted to hide his tracks.

"There's more out there."

"They are going to have to wait. You need to get warmed up and eat and figure out what effect those bites are going to have on you." Sam said investigating the glowing little bites with his flashlight.

They had learned from other hunters that sprite bites were like a bad acid trip.

Sam started to lead his brother back in the direction of the cabin.

"I hurt Arandi." Dean sighed.

"I know but she hurt you too."

Dean nodded. "It was the only thing I could think of to make her see that she has to calm down and focus."

Sam nodded. He was really trying to get Dean to walk faster. The bites were going to kick in at any….

Dean hunched over and threw up like a geyser. A freaking rainbow. That was what it looked like anyway.

Sam had never found himself staring at barf with such complete fascination.

"I think I ate a unicorn." Dean whimpered as he clutched his stomach.

"Come on Lucky Charms we better get you back and fast."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam got Dean back to the cabin but by then he was loopy as all hell. It really did seem to be a bad acid trip. Dangerous still because Dean would probably walk straight into a lion's den in his condition and try to play with the cute little kittens.

Dean was humming and grabbing at things that weren't there and throwing up rainbows. Which if not for the high he was on would probably have had him doubled over in pain.

Arandi had been thrilled to see him coming back. He had stared at her like she was something divine and booped her nose.

"He's humming the 'The hills are alive.'" Jade pointed out with a chuckle.

"If the hills were alive wouldn't they be scary." Dean asked wide eyed. "We would have to hunt hills, Sammy. The hills have eyes. They see you when you're sleeping, they know when you're awake but they don't give you cool presents or bake you pie."

Sam bit his tongue to not laugh.

"Is there any unicorn left? I'm starving." Dean moved in the direction of the kitchen.

Arandi followed him. This wasn't what she expected when she saw Dean again so they had to put off the inevitable until Dean came crashing down from his sprite high.

"You think you can handle him alone?" Sam asked. "Jade and I are going to go find the rest of those sprites. They're easier to find at night."

"I got him."

Sam and Jade had sprayed themselves with silver dust. A concoction that Bobby had created to prevent sprites from biting. They headed out taking the Impala so they didn't have to walk all that far.

Dean was currently nibbling on a piece of beef jerky. He walked around the cabin staring at everything like it was all magic.

"How about you come sit down by the fire?" Arandi coaxed.

He walked towards it and started to reach into it.

"Whoa, there. You will not like how that feels." She pulled him back.

Dean looked at her. "I like the way you feel but I don't like it when you're sad." He stumbled toward the bathroom.

What do you know? He could pee rainbows too.

He peeled off his shirt and Arandi saw the cut. All dried blood and nasty looking. The lump in her throat painful. She led him to the recliner and made him sit back while she cleaned it up and stitched it. She gently cleaned his bloody fist. He hummed the entire time. She had begged Bernice for a jar of the scar remedy so she rubbed some gently around the cut. The stuff really did work.

Dean was looking at her now adoringly. "I'll share my unicorn with you." He smiled.

Arandi laughed. "You are one of a kind that is for sure."

"I'll even let you have the bigger piece." He winked dramatically.

"Thank you." She kissed him gently on the lips. She gasped as Dean pulled her on top of him. "I'm going to hurt your cut."

"I feel hot." He mumbled into her lips.

Arandi could feel the hot press of hard cock against her. He started to unbutton his jeans and he pushed them down.

She loved him to death but she didn't dare go there until he was back to normal. She would help him out though.

Yeah, it was rainbow colored too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

If Dean had only gotten a small dose of sprite venom. She really didn't want to know what happened to people who got it worse.

For three hours he had been like someone hyped up on caffeine, sugar, and crack. He would sit for two minutes and then be off poking at things, mostly things that could seriously hurt him. Or he would be talking to the door handle.

Sam and Jade came back tired but having been successful in finding the sprite nest and offing them all.

Sprites could seem like cute little fairies but they were deadly evil little shits in reality.

Arandi bit back a laugh. Sam and Jade were going to be sparkling for a week at least.

Dean followed Sam around fascinated with the glow. "You found my unicorn?"

"He's running free and happy."

Dean pouted. "But I'm supposed to share him and…..."

"It's ok. He'll come back when he's tired." Arandi said gently.

He smiled again and walked into the bathroom where Sam was taking a shower.

Arandi and Jade both burst into laughter when Sam screamed and Dean said. "Dude, did you eat my unicorn's dick?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't so much being on the acid trip that was bad as it was coming down from it. Dean wasn't throwing up rainbows anymore but he was purging out crap he was sure he had eaten in high school.

It was worse than the worst hang over ever. Times five.

"Find some of the white mushrooms with red polka dots." Bobby was telling Sam on the phone. "Add some cinnamon and make a tea. It will ease the worst of the symptoms. That boy I swear."

Sam rushed out the door with Jade to find the mushrooms that Bobby said were readily available in that neck of the woods. He hadn't bother to tell Dean or Arandi that without the mushrooms Dean would have to suffer for days in unbelievable agony and Bobby had said that not everyone made it back from that.

Dean tried to stay as still as he could as the next cramp took hold. If labor was worse than this women deserved freaking medals. Arandi's comforting hand smoothed down his back where he laid curled up.

He groaned loudly and he couldn't stay still anymore. He twisted his body the other way as more cramps followed without an inch of mercy.

Sweat poured off of him and he gritted his teeth. He felt hot and cold. "Knock me out." He begged.

"Sam is finding something to help you."

He bit back the scream threatening to tear from his throat. His hands clenched tightly on the sheets of the bed.

He felt the heave burning through him and he turned fast making the cramps intensify. The burning acrid nearly black puke streamed from him as Arandi did her best to calm him and keep the bucket where it would catch the worst of the mess.

Tears burned at his eyes and his throat felt like it was on fire. He could barely catch a breath in between.

Sam and Jade came tearing through the door leaving a trail of mushrooms. Sam didn't even bother to stop he headed straight for the kitchen and thankfully Arandi had already started the boiling water with the cinnamon.

"Sammy." Dean begged.

"Stay with us, Dean." Sam replied.

Dean whimpered and twisted on the bed. It seemed like hours before he felt himself being lifted and he was leaning back against his little brother. Two huge hands settled on his relentlessly cramping stomach and somehow he found the slightest sense of comfort.

"Drink, my love." Arandi coaxed.

The last thing Dean wanted was to drink something that would just be making its way back up violently. He turned his head away but Arandi gently turned it back.

"It is going to help you."

He looked at her through bleary eyes as he felt Sam's reassuring hands signaling that it would be alright.

The cup touched his lips and he swallowed the hot liquid greedily. The instant the concoction reached his stomach he felt the start of the relief. He nearly sobbed. He swallowed every drop.

He felt the need to throw up close behind but Sam's strong hands and whispered words of encouragement calmed him.

"Sammy." Dean murmured.

"I got you bro." Sam whispered close to his ear. "Just relax and let it work."

Dean sunk deeper against his little brother. The reassuring warmth seeping into his back. He grasped Arandi's hand tightly. His two anchors.

Slowly the cramps began to subside and Dean felt like he was floating. His head lolled in exhaustion.

"Dean?" Arandi called to him.

His hand had slipped from hers.

"Dean?" Sam asked in a slight panic. His brother had gone completely lax. "Hey, hey bro." He moved Dean and he only slouched over. Bobby hadn't mentioned anything about this.

He fought back the urge to go full on panic attack. He swallowed and looked at Arandi's just as panicked face.

"He's not breathing." Arandi whispered.

Sam was just a little tired of this shit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean."

He opened his eyes. He could tell that the sun was making its way down. Somehow it didn't make sense because it had been dark when he had been dying.

"You need to eat something and get some fluids into you." Arandi said as she handed him a bottle of water.

He took it and stretched. His mouth had to be like a cave full of dead bats. He looked at Arandi's lip already healing. "How long was I asleep?"

"Nearly three days. Bobby forgot to tell Sam to not give you more than three mushrooms since more than three mimics death."

"Oh God. You ok?"

Arandi shrugged.

"Where is Sam?"

"After Bobby convinced us all that we hadn't accidently put you in a coma or worse, he and Jade went to research just how many people the sprites had killed."

"God forbid we don't write accurate details in the journals."

"They are going to catch a movie and stay the night in town. Sam was having problems seeing you so still so…. Go take a shower and I'll have dinner ready." Arandi urged.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean felt a hundred percent better now that he was clean and stuffed full of stuffed pork chops and all the trimmings. "Am I safe to hug you or do I have to armor my nuts?"

"The insanity has passed but you don't have to forgive me so easily."

"Yes I do. Especially after the unicorn kick."

Arandi laughed. "I never realized you knew so much about unicorns."

"Totally Sam's fault. Hey, weren't Sam and Jade still sparkling?"

"They figured they could get away with it at night. Just stay behind a hoodie at the library."

"Leave it to Rufus to have a cabin with a hunt right under his nose. So it was meant to be."

"That's how you're going to look at it."

"Winchester rose colored glasses, yes ma'am."

"Winchester rainbow colored glasses."

"You wound me."

"That too."

"Arandi…"

"He got off on cutting me." She blurted. "All I could hope was that you would save me because I couldn't save myself and you did. I don't know how but you did."

"He didn't…...um…...did he…" Dean couldn't force the words up.

Arandi looked at her feet. A tear slowly sliding down her cheek as she wrung her hands behind her back. "He touched me." She said barely audible.

Dean knew what she meant, he didn't need a picture painted. He pulled her into his arms.

"That was it and then you were there." She hitched.

"You were…."

She nodded against his chest. "I saw you break him and rip out his throat. I didn't pass out until you broke the shackles from the ceiling. I thought you were possessed."

"I was but not by a demon. I warned him not to touch you. I don't make idle threats."

"I'm sorry. So sorry."

"Me too." This time when he kissed her she didn't tense and move away from his touch. She leaned into him and began to work at his clothes. They didn't make it anywhere near the bed. Falling in front of the fireplace, they made love to chase away all the shadows that had threatened to swallow them whole.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was trying to make pancakes late morning the next day but Dean kept distracting her with his lips and wandering hands.

"Don't bitch when everything is burnt to a crisp." She muttered.

He moved the stuff off of the stove and lifted her onto the counter, yanked off her shirt. "Uhuh." He moaned into her neck. Then lavished her with butterfly kisses downward leaving a trail to each nipple.

So much for breakfast. "Still haven't had enough?" She moaned wrapping herself around him.

"Nuhuh."

"Mercy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Jade arrived after noon. Dean was sitting on a big overstuffed chair and Arandi was curled up on his lap.

Dean smiled when he saw Sam. "Dude, you look like the world's biggest tube of lip gloss."

"Thanks."

"What's the verdict?"

"Hundred and seventeen people vanished in or around this area. None found."

"It's to be expected. The sprites would make them kill themselves and then all the other creatures out there would have their share."

"How did it slip out from under Rufus's nose?"

"Dude, I'm still trying to figure out how Rufus made it past thirty."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean flipped the steaks on the grill and poked at the foiled covered corn on the cob and potatoes. He took a long swig of beer.

The peacefulness of the woods and the lake was relaxing but even that type of surrounding would grind on his nerves soon.

The occasional hoot of an owl and the frogs and crickets nearly in harmony.

He turned to look at Sam as he came out of the cabin with a tray and his own bottle of beer and the look of a brother that wanted to talk.

Dean sighed. "Skip the warm up and just get to the dancing."

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Arandi but how did you escape the sprites? I mean according to the lore they put a person in a trance and talk them into killing themselves."

"I just thought about how Arandi would react since the reason I was in the woods in the first place was because of our fight."

"You really think that was all it took to break the trance?"

"I guess so. What other reason is there?"

"It's just that I'm pretty sure out of a hundred and seventeen people a couple of them had to have had the same guilt of leaving someone behind."

"I have superpowers just didn't want to brag." Dean snickered.

Sam stared at him.

"I'm joking."

"I know. It's just that you keep doing things that are unexplainable and…..."

"And I'm awesome." Dean said evenly as he turned back to the food.

Sam sighed. His brother's official way of cutting a conversation that made him uncomfortable off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone was sound asleep when the loud knock on the cabin door made them all sit up in their beds. No one was supposed to know they were there.

The knock came again, louder and more demanding. They all slipped from their place and moved with their weapons in stealth mode.

They took their position and Dean motioned for Arandi to throw the door open.

They all stood still as John Winchester and Jonathan Remington tumbled inside leaning on each other.

"Get ready, boys and girls, we really stepped in it this time." John muttered and the cabin began to shake.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	45. FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE SHADOWS

FROM THE DEPTHS OF SHADOWS

"What the hell?" Dean growled.

Both doors flew open everything around them blew in every direction.

"You can run but you can't hide." A female voice sing songed and she stepped through the back door.

"Dad?" Dean and Sam both asked together.

Sam stared at the short haired blonde recognition flared. "Meg?"

"Oh, you remember me and I didn't even try to make an impression."

"She's a demon, Sam." John gritted out.

"Give me what I came for, John Boy, and I won't hurt your family…much."

"What is she talking about?" Dean asked. He flew against the wall and fell dazed.

Meg crouched down in front of him. "Don't speak unless spoken too."

"Bitch, please." Dean groaned his chest getting tight. Anger pulsing through him.

Arandi kicked Meg across the floor. She flipped Arandi into the air with a flick of her wrist but Arandi flipped one more time and caught herself in a crouch.

Meg came forward her lip bleeding. Arandi stood up and looked at Meg with a tilted head.

"I'm going to rip your heart out!" Meg hissed and rushed Arandi only to come up short and unable to move.

"Neat trick." Arandi scoffed. "Now sit and beg."

"Honestly, you come into a hunter's cabin and you don't expect a devil's trap." Jonathan whistled. "And we're the stupid ones."

Meg laughed. "Azazel is going to rip you apart one by one."

"Yeah, same song different dance." Sam huffed.

Meg grinned wickedly. "I tried to warn you."

The cabin shook, the lights went out and low menacing moans slid into the room as the shadows around them began to move rapidly.

John flew back against a wall pinned and he screamed, scratches appeared across his face. Dean yelled as he slid across the floor and invisible claws sliced his chest and face. Sam went down next. Then Jade.

The devil's trap broke and Meg rushed Arandi. Holy water hit Meg's face even as Arandi flew back against the wall hitting it hard enough to crack it.

"Close your eyes!" Someone yelled and suddenly the room was too bright and hissing and growling ensued. The hunters stumbled outside overtaken by smoke from flairs that someone had started. They all leaned on each other.

They pushed away as far as they could and readied for another attack but nothing came.

It wasn't until they started to look around that they realized that they had been saved by Mary and Beth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean blinked hard as the wave of dizziness hit him. He bit back the nausea not too anxious to ever throw up again in his life time. His right arm protective over his torn up chest. The claw marks burned so badly especially after Mary had poured a whole gallon of holy water over them before she let him get behind the wheel.

He knew he shouldn't be driving but no one had argued it so there he was leading the way to the next cabin followed by their parents in their own vehicles.

Their lives were so far from normal. He looked at Sam in the rear view. His brother was looking out the window with Jade pressed up against him. His mind whirling. They hadn't really gotten anything out of their dads so far.

Arandi sat shotgun also staring out the window. She sat rather stiffly and winced every time the car bumped over something. He wanted to pull over and let someone else drive. Yeah that bad but he took a deep breath and stepped on the gas a little harder.

Everyone had been knocked for a loop. "Suck it up, Winchester." He mumbled to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours later and miles away, the bedraggled hunters finally settled into another cabin.

Mary blessed the entire well that worked through the water provided to the cabin and made everyone shower in the holy water one at a time. She knew that any kind of demon especially something as evil as the shadow demons would wreck a body even after the attack.

Mary and Beth worked patiently on their injured bunch as they stepped from the showers.

"Mary…."

"John, just don't." She breathed while she settled tended to Dean's wounds.

"You knew who she was?" Jonathan asked.

"We gave her a ride some time ago. During that killer scarecrow thing." Sam replied. "She was a demon all along? What kind of demons were those and what the hell was she after?"

Dean snickered at Sam's impatience.

"So she tried to get to you even then?" John muttered.

"Those were shadow demons. Some of the nastiest demons ever created but they were thought long gone. Apparently Meg likes to dabble in really dark, dark arts." Jonathan answered.

"We stumbled upon a rumor of a weapon that can kill anything."

"Anything? Supernatural anything as in Azazel?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Yeah." John grinned.

"Why did she think that you have it?"

"Because we do."

Everyone stared at John.

"It took some searching and breaking some codes that dated back to the Western years but we found it hidden in a cave under Samuel Colt's cabin. It was made with consecrated metal and the bullets are silver and iron consecrated rounds. There are only seven bullets left so we have to make them count."

"Holy crap." Sam muttered. The implication sinking home.

"You realize that Azazel is going to come at us with everything he has." Mary pointed out.

"We're counting on it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was no getting out of Mary and Beth tagging along now. So after several phone calls to ensure that the houses would be supervised they hit the road.

They figured they were safer for now as a group.

Dean and Sam needed a few days to recuperate. Their clawed faces brought too many questions. Bernice's cream coming in super handy. Arandi's back was one large bruise but suddenly they were a step closer to ending it all.

"I know it's not going to happen overnight." Arandi breathed against Dean's chest one night. "But when yellow eyes is finally dead, I just want to stop hunting and work a little harder on having our family."

"That sounds like a plan." Dean sighed.

"You have to stop hunting too."

"I know that."

"Just making sure we were clear."

"There's just one thing." Dean turned to face her slowly kissing her throat. "I think we need to practice. Lots and lots of practice."

"Umm, yeah, I think you're right."

"I thought you would see it my way."

"Shut up and please me." Arandi sighed deeply.

"Yes, ma'am."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The younger hunters continued to hunt on their own to keep from going bat shit nuts while the parents went from town to town day to day trying to stay one step ahead.

Somewhere closer to home the young hunters met Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler, 'professional' paranormal investigators and that was said with a rolling on the floor guffaws of laughter and tears.

The Winchesters really wanted to hate them but they couldn't, the young want to bes provided a wide range of comic relief. If they even saw a half an hour's worth of the things that the hunters had seen in their entire lives Ed and Harry would be groveling, drooling, nut cases in a couple of padded cells or maybe they would let them stay together. Dean wasn't sure if they swung that way but why separate them.

They fought a tulpa, an entity that could be brought to life just by people believing in it and with the proper signs surrounding it. Mordachai Murdoch was born and believed in to the point where actual real people were dying.

In the end because of all the belief and the interference of the pro's and police. Dean burned Hell House to the ground hopefully ending the deaths. If not, they could always swing back.

Unable to help themselves and really, really needing some way to vent out all the negative of their lives, Dean and Sam pranked Ed and Harry, sending them to follow their 'dreams' of fame, fortune, sex with real woman, and bowing at Buffy's feet.

Dean added dead fish to their backseat just so he could have something to snort at for a few days.

He and Sam rolled imagining the look on the faces of the investigators when halfway to Hollywood the smell would become unbearable.

Who ya gonna call?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean's entire body trembled and somehow he kept the gun steady. The shtriga was dead but part of him needed to make sure. He pulled the trigger three more times.

"You sure you're ok little brother?" He asked again. Sam had to be alright. That was sort of the point of…well everything.

Sam nodded and gave a double thumbs up, still trying to crawl into a position to be able to stand. Dean wouldn't believe him otherwise. The shtriga hadn't had a chance to completely drain him but he still felt light headed and could probably sleep for a week. Ok make that three.

"It's ok, Michael." Dean said with a smile to the frightened boy.

Michael may have bought it but Sam could see all the strain behind it. The way his brother was trying to act as if the blood running down the side of his head from being tossed into a book shelf was as normal as it got.

Sadly, it almost was.

Dean pulled out his phone and dialed. "What's happening?" He asked as he pulled his hand handkerchief to wipe away the blood he knew was freaking Michael out. He probably had no clue that head wounds were notorious bleeders.

"The kids are beginning to wake up. Asher is asking for Michael. They are still really weak and will probably be in the hospital for a few more days but you did it, baby." Arandi said on the other end.

Dean sighed and leaned heavily against the wall. "You and Jade stay there a bit longer. Sam and I have some cleaning up to do."

They were barely standing but they still had to salt and burn the thing even if it was already a pile of ashes and a robe.

Plus, they had to do some fancy fast fixing of the bullets that had gotten into the floor and walls and rebuild the bookshelf as fast as possible.

Only Michael fixed that problem. "Don't fret the shelf. I'll just tell my mom it was an accident. She'll believe anything right now."

The Winchesters were relieved.

"Asher is going to be fine." Dean managed a real smile in place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Winchester men were totally glad that Michael was going to cover for them and that they only had to walk or rather stumble a few feet to their rooms.

Arandi and Jade had arrived only moments before and were getting things ready for damage control.

Dean didn't argue he just sat through it glad the whole mess was finally over. He still couldn't get out of his head how if he had just killed the damn thing so long ago none of the kids since then would have had to have suffered or died.

"You were just a kid." Arandi huffed. She could feel the tension rolling off of Dean in waves. His hands fisted tight on his thighs. "Your dad had no business putting that kind of pressure on you."

"It was a test and I failed." He whispered.

"Your dad failed too. I mean my dad didn't even go along with that hunt. He used Sam as bait because your mom and my mom had taken off to help Ellen on another matter. If your mom knew…"

Dean shifted eyes to Arandi's. "He used Sam as bait?"

"Think about it, Dean. He knew the shtriga wouldn't show if he was in that room with you."

He let his head thump back against the headboard. "Why didn't I see that before?"

"Your dad walked on water or parted the Red Sea, some divine act involving H2O in your eyes when you were that age. Then it all just went away until now."

"How could he let me live with that guilt all these years?"

"I wish I could tell you something significant but it all comes down to him being John Winchester."

"It makes sense now, the crashing into the room just a couple of seconds too late. He fucking got drunk waiting for the thing, probably thought it wasn't going to show. He knew I left the room and he put Sammy in danger just…." Dean was trembling in anger. "That's why he never talked about it. Not because I let him down because he didn't want mom to find out or for Sam to remember. He sent me here to clean up his mess not mine."

They both turned to look at the door. Sam's raised and furious voice could be heard just on the other side.

Dean stood and walked over throwing the door open.

"You knew! You knew that it wasn't Dean's fault but you let him believe that all those lives were on his shoulder. What kind of father does that? Uses one son for bait and lets the other hunt a creature thousands of years old?"

Sam had figured it out as well. It didn't take him long. "You're unbelievable and the fact that you're actually trying to play it off as a necessary means to learning how to hunt is pathetic!" Sam face changed and he calmed a bit. "Yeah, mom, I'm really sorry that we all had to find out like this. I know. Yeah, Dean knows. I understand. I just wanted him to know that we figured it out. I know he's your husband, mom, I don't expect…...yes, ma'am. Love you too."

Dean knew by Sam expression that dear old dad was going to be spending some cold nights on motel room floors or just having to get a room of his own.

"I really can't believe he did that to us." Sam growled.

"Yeah, our dad of the century." Dean muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It shouldn't have surprised either Winchester son that dear dad would drunk call Dean a few days later. Trying to apologize for his actions, stating that he would never be the world's greatest dad. He just wanted his boys to grow up knowing how to take care of themselves and not be afraid of anything.

John never talked about his own childhood. All that Dean and Sam knew was that his father had gone out one night and had never come back.

So chalk up his lack of fatherhood knowledge being from the lack of having one to measure up to or trying too hard to pretend he had learned enough. Who knew?

Dean did his best to talk his dad down out of his funk for the sake of Mary while Sam did the same with a scowl.

"Until the next time he fucks up." Sam growled.

"The story of my life." Dean responded. He hoped the fact that they had grown up with a father like John would make them better ones. He stared at the bottle of whiskey in his hands. "Yeah, great start, Dean."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah Blake was struck between wanting to scream or laughing hysterically. She was almost tempted to search for hidden cameras because shit like this just wasn't real.

Yet she stared at the still warm body of her family friend Evelyn. Her eyes void of life, her throat savagely slashed. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Sarah…." Arandi began soothingly.

"It's that painting isn't it, that's why that awful thing gives me the creeps but things like that aren't real." She looked up at the painting and jumped back with a scream. "I'm losing my mind."

The Isaiah Merchant painting has changed from just the few moments that she looked at it before.

"We watched that painting burn, Sarah." Jade told her softly.

"What are you saying?" She knew the answer but she still needed to hear it out loud. She thought that she had struck gold when she met these four people close to her age. She thought they would open up a new world for her lead her out of the shell she'd gotten way too comfortable with since her mom had passed away suddenly.

This so wasn't the world that she was expecting or wanting.

Arandi's hand on her shoulder nearly made her scream again. "You don't have to be here."

Sarah met her eyes. "My dad and I sold this painting to people that are dead now. All my dad sees is dollar signs. All I see is lives that I could have saved. I'm in for the count just tell me what I need to do." Apparently she had been possessed too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Iron and salt. If she survived this she was loading up on both and to hell if her dad thought she was losing her mind.

He wouldn't think so if he was the one presently being tossed around by the ghost of a little girl who just happened to be a psychotic killer in her life before death.

She was now probably never going to want to have children.

Sam and Jade both came swinging with iron pokers and the little girl vanished. Dean and Arandi were still on the outside trying to get inside since the doors had been viciously slammed.

They had found and burned the bones of Isaiah Merchant and now they were finding out that they had gotten rid of the only thing controlling Melanie Merchant.

She was on the loose now and they had to figure out what was keeping her in this world since the rest of the family had been cremated when they were sure that Isaiah had been the killer.

"We used to handle antique dolls." Sarah yelped.

Sam looked at her confused at the same time that he was trying to keep the ghost at bay and talk to Dean on the phone. "Fascinating but…"

"Listen, Sam, dolls from that era were made to replicate the owner, to be as authentic as possible which meant they used the little girl's own hair."

"Dean, did you hear that?"

"Already on our way. Just stay alive for a few more minutes."

No sooner said than Jade was flying backwards and hitting the wall hard. She fell to the floor unconscious.

Sam moved forward to get to her but he was pulled back and a piano came crashing into him. Melanie stood over Jade, the already bloodied razor in her hand about to deliver the death blow.

Then Sarah was there swinging the iron poker like a pro and Melanie screeched and vanished.

Sam shook his head trying to clear it as much as he could because they were far from in the clear. He shoved the piano away and rushed to Jade.

Sarah went flying this time the poker skittering loudly across the floor out of reach.

Melanie stood over her wicked grin and eyes that Sarah would have nightmares about for the rest of her life.

The razor came down towards her and she couldn't close her eyes. Melanie froze for just a second and then screeched. Sarah watched in amazement as the sparks started from the razor and moved up until there was nothing left but the scream of the gotten.

She stared at Sam and he stared back. He shrugged.

Sarah wanted to laugh and cry, pinch herself. This was out there and how did you put that behind yourself?

"This is what you all do?" She stammered.

Sam nodded as he helped Jade sit up.

"How the hell do you stay sane?"

"Who says that we are?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah couldn't let them leave without a thank you dinner and them being there to watch the awful painting burn. For good this time.

She had sort of been smitten when she had first met Sam Winchester but she knew in the next moment that he was taken just in the way he politely didn't make the eye contact most flirts would.

She didn't expect him to be married but she was beautiful and Sarah had liked her instantly.

Dean and Arandi were a little harder to warm up to but they held way more wisdom and pain in their eyes than anyone younger than thirty had the right to even start to know. Plus, they were in love in way that Sarah had thought existed in only books and movies. Seeing it was almost painful, she was never going to settle for just anyone after that.

Now that she had seen what they did in their lives and that they had to face crap like that and worse every day, she wanted to give them medals or tuck them away somewhere safe even for just a day.

She bought them steak dinners with cold beer and stories passed like old friends. She sighed seeing them around her because they were her friends now and somehow that made her feel just a bit safer and her heart heavier.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	46. IT'S COMING

Sorry for the extreme delay in posting this chapter. I got really sick and ended up in the hospital for 3 days and it has been the slowest recovery ever. Here I thought labor was the worst pain a woman had to go through. So, so wrong!

I'm slowly getting back on track. Thank you for the continued support.

IT'S COMING

Arandi hated vampires with a passion. They would forever remind her of Dean's near death. Yeah, he had a lot of near death experiences, more than one human should, but that one in particular just rubbed her in every kind of wrong way.

The vampire bitch named Kate that presently was kissing Dean like she had the right was going to die a slow painful death. Pinky swear, promise to the moon and back. She never made a promise she didn't intend to keep, especially when it came to Dean.

Arandi moved slightly in the grasp of Luther, Kate's mate. They sure had a funny way of showing love. Getting each other victims to suck on and not nearly as sexy as one with a dirty mind might believe.

They had been hunting this particular vampire nest because they had killed a hunter that John and Mary considered and old family friend. They hadn't seen him in years but hearing of Daniel Elkins death, all the signs had pointed to vamps.

This wasn't quite how it was supposed to turn out but hey when did it ever? Winchester motto number 27 'if it can go wrong, it will'.

Dean and Arandi were surrounded and in deep shit if their parents and siblings didn't get there soon. They were a couple of miles off the mark.

Kate pulled back from Dean still holding his face in a killer grip as she turned to eye Arandi. Giving her the look that dared her to do something about it.

"Tell your boyfriend to stop groping my boobs and I'll give you a challenge like you've never had." Arandi hissed.

Kate flicked gleaming eyes to Luther, squeezing Dean's jaw harder making Dean wince.

Dean stared at her and raised an eyebrow, hoping he'd get the feeling back in his cheeks and he just wanted to barf. How many people had met their death by that mouth?

His stomach lurched and what the hell right?

Kate jumped back with a screech of disgust and anger finally letting go as Dean threw up all over her.

Dean shrugged and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. "I have a strong stomach but necrophilia is even a line I can't cross." He looked at Arandi who was smiling but her eyes were still shining with possessiveness.

He was sure that his eyes were showing the same thing after all Luther was just a tad bit too 'second skin'. "I don't get how you think that you are all that against people who can't defend themselves. Seems cowardly to me." Dean pushed.

Luther loosened his grip on Arandi. "What would you know?"

Dean grinned and cracked his neck. "I know that you won't live past tonight."

"Cocky…..." Was the only thing Kate got past her lips before Arandi was flipping in the air landing directly between her and Dean.

Kate opened her mouth again moving to snap Arandi's neck but Arandi punched her hard in the throat. Kate staggered back surprised at the actual pain she felt.

She grabbed her throat and blood ran down her hands.

"Kate?" Luther asked in surprise.

Arandi stepped forward with Dean standing with a grin and tilted head just behind her. She lifted her fist which was wrapped with one of the many bracelets that Dean had given her, this one in particular was multi strand and hollow with a multitude of needle points that could be filled with any liquid and injected into whoever or whatever got in the way.

In this case dead man's blood for not so bright killer vampires.

"That doesn't kill us." Another clueless vamp cried out and then his head rolled as Sam stepped into the light.

"No but that does."

Luther made to grab Kate but an arrow dipped in dead man's blood pierced his chest and he fell to his knees.

Kate was already on the ground thrashing.

Dean walked over to Luther. His machete gleaming in the moon lit night. "I guess I know more than you ever will." Luther's head rolled in the next moment.

The other hunter's killed the other vamps and Arandi crouched down by Kate whose eyes were entirely filled with hatred.

"If you had left people alone we would have left you alone." Arandi said slowly. She slid the tip of her very sharp machete into the side of Kate's throat. "He wasn't yours to touch."

Dean watched getting a little weirded out and very turned on at how Arandi looked at the moment. She was killing Kate slowly, as promised, and everyone else was watching. "Baby, we got to go."

That seemed to break through Arandi's murderous zone out and she made the ending slice with a quick flick of her wrist.

"You two went through enough tonight." Mary said understandingly. "Go ahead and get back to the motel while we take care of all this."

"Thanks, mom." Dean replied and he took Arandi's hand and they trekked back to the Impala.

"Did it bother you?" She asked as they reached the car and she pulled back from him.

"Not because you were killing a monster, no, but the scary way you looked was a bit different."

Arandi's eyes met his, a sad little smile on her face. "You realize that her last kiss was you and not her soul mate that she supposedly loved?"

"Well, now that you mention it…...why are you mentioning it?"

"I don't like it and there isn't anything I can do about it."

"It doesn't mean anything." Dean encouraged.

"I know that. They were trying to get under our skin and it worked a little too well. I just hate vampires." She spat out gruffly and she got in the car.

"If I had to make a list they would for sure be in the top five." Dean shuddered as he went around to join her. "Twice." He added as he started the car and thought he needed to stop and buy at least three bottles of the strongest mouth wash on the market.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the room they showered together and made out until the water went cold.

The other hunter's arrived a couple of hours later and with this hunt done they headed to rest so that they could head out in the morning.

Dean knew when Arandi was wired and needing a way to unwind without having to ask so he didn't say a word as he stripped her out of her night clothes and took off his own.

They fell to the bed already wrapped around each other desperate to feel anything but the hunt.

Arandi's kisses were vicious and she bit him wherever she could reach. Dean's mind buzzed with lust. She brought out things in him that should probably worry him but it felt too good. Impossibly fantastic and being with her was like a never ending ecstasy trip. Who complained about that?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat bolt upright, his gun already in his grip, from whatever had dragged him from sleep. Arandi was beside him ready too.

"Dean!" His mom banged on the door.

He breathed a slight sigh but worried filled him for his mom to be nearly breaking the door down at three in the morning.

He jumped up and opened the door.

"Get ready to hit the road, things just got bad." Mary said her eyes gleaming. "Jim and Caleb, that bitch demon has them and…we gotta go." She spun and rushed away.

Arandi was already throwing their duffels together and getting dressed at the same time. Dean grabbed what she had left for him quickly washed his face and ran his fingers through his hair.

She had her hair up in a ponytail and they were at the Impala ready to go in less than ten minutes. Everyone else tiredly joined them at their vehicles.

"Meg got to Jim and Caleb, she tried for Bobby but you know that man knows every trick in the book and probably created a few on his own. She wants the gun." John said as he looked at everyone.

"What are we doing?" Dean asked pretty damn sure that his dad wouldn't give up a chance to kill the demon, not even for people they considered family.

"Giving them what they want."

"You're what?" Sam sputtered.

"He means they are getting a fake." Mary supplied. "We thought something like this might happen so we had one made."

"We're risking Jim and Caleb on a decoy?"

"Sam, you know as well as I do that demons aren't just going to let Jim and Caleb walk away from this. We just have to hope that they are still alive. We use the fake to get them out if they are and then…..." John explained.

"Wing it?" Dean offered.

"It's all we can do. Anyone want out?"

No one moved.

"Alright, we're heading to Blue Earth. Bobby and Ellen are meeting us along the way along with Rufus and Jefferson. Johnny, Jo, and Baby Kelly are stowed away safely because we just don't know how dirty these fuckers are going to play." John continued. "This is going to be far from a normal hunt but I know that you are ready. From this point on we are all in serious danger and they are going to do whatever it takes to get what they want."

Dean looked at Arandi. He knew the only reason Johnny wasn't in this was because he had a family. His little girl was holding him home hopefully safe and sound or he and Jo would be right there too.

"Don't even think it my way, love." Arandi smiled softly.

He shrugged. "I worry about you."

"Ditto but this is important and we could end so much evil if we pull this together."

He nodded. "It's not worth any of it if I lose you…. or anyone." He added.

"This goes right we can all go back to normal lives and Sam is safe or safer."

He sighed. She knew just where to hit. He looked over at Sam who was talking animatedly with their mom.

Sam looked at him with a huge smile and he smiled back, a tug in his chest. This was all about killing the demon that apparently wanted his brother to no end.

Once that was done it was going to be all about letting go again. Dean's smile faltered slightly. They had work to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How did I let him talk me into letting him go alone?" Mary bemoaned as she paced the motel room where they waited.

Meg had wanted only John and the colt to make an appearance or Jim and Caleb would die instantly. That had been hours before and every attempt to contact John had been in vain.

Even Sam was sweating bullets and Dean could tell that he was inwardly berating himself and imagining his last conversation with their father. What if it had been their last?

They all had barely eaten or gotten much rest. Dean knew that Arandi needed to eat on schedule because of her anemia so he had ordered some delivery.

The smell brought everyone alive a bit and they were thankful. Arandi smiled at him sweetly as she bit into the steak sandwich he'd gotten for her.

He leaned in to kiss her, he could taste the steak and her. He loved her way too much if that was at all possible.

Flashes of multicolored lights filled his head. He stumbled back and looked around him.

"Dean?" Arandi asked worriedly.

He had one hand up pressed to his temple, pain starting to slice through.

"Dean?" Sam said beside him, he felt his brother's touch on his shoulder.

Sam felt a surge of something he couldn't explain zap into him from his brother and they both crashed to their knees together facing each other.

Everyone around them tried to get to them but some kind of force kept them at bay.

Dean and Sam were rigid on their knees their heads thrown back and their arms open and hands fisted, veins bulging. They looked as if they were being electrocuted.

"Stop it!" Mary yelled as if no one was actually trying.

Dean's head shot forward his eyes wide and glowing the most brilliant of green. Sam's eyes were closed tight as his chin hit his chest.

All the mirrors and windows began to tremble and then blew out in a million pieces. The shards floating and spinning like some magic show before they fell to the floor. Outside car alarms started blaring and then walls began to crack.

"Tenebris regnabit." Dean's voice eerily doubled, gritted out. He gasped hard and then his eyes rolled. He fell forward and Sam crumpled onto his side.

Arandi instantly scrambled towards Dean.

"Arandi, wait!" Mary yelled.

Arandi already had her hand on Dean's back. She gasped and went rigid for just a second before she slumped over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once again the event had been viewed as a freak act of nature. People who had been outside swore that lightning had struck the building because more than one room and vehicle had suffered damage.

The managers ran around assessing damage and when they had seen unconscious people they panicked and started offering all kinds of deals and didn't bother to call 911 after all this particular motel had more than its share of building code violations amongst other things.

The hunter's not needing any attention drawn to them just planned to load up and head to the nearest cabin. Bobby once again playing the part of Uncle Doctor.

That plan changed quickly as Dean and Sam came around. Arandi had already awakened before them and looked a bit shaken.

The brothers looked at each other almost warily.

"Dad's alive but they have him." Dean said.

"It was all a huge grand plan." Sam added. "They used trading the gun for Jim and Caleb as a distraction."

"A distraction for what?" Jonathan asked.

"Azazel is after another family. He wanted all of us on the dad's trail." Sam responded tiredly.

"You saw all that?" Jade asked.

"I saw the other family."

Dean had his head in his hands. "I saw dad."

Sam looked at his brother. He hadn't seen what his brother had seen entirely but he was leaving a whole chunk of it out.

"The fact that dad brought a fake gun changed the game. Azazel thought that he was killing two birds with one stone or maybe even three or four, the fucker thinks that highly of himself." Dean grumbled. "He knew if he killed dad and the others that things would go bad but that hasn't stopped Meg from hurting them."

"I don't understand what is happening. I mean first Sam was having visions and passing them to Dean now Dean is passing them to Sam?" Beth looked wide eyed from one to the other.

"We didn't pass anything. It just somehow got stronger and wilder when Sam touched me. He was already having his own vision."

"Do you remember what you said?" Mary asked.

"In darkness it shall reign." Arandi spoke up.

Dean's eyes met hers.

Sirens were coming close. Someone hadn't taken the deals.

"We'll meet up the road at the park and strategize from there." Dean said. Doing his best to act like he wasn't freaking out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dean, are you alright?" Arandi asked softly as he drove.

"I have a bitch of headache." He replied not taking his eyes off the road. "You?"

"I'm ok just tingly."

"You shouldn't touch me if it happens again." He nearly rolled his eyes. Of course it was going to happen again. He was a Winchester after all. "Um did you see anything?"

"Just colored lights. You were already out."

Dean nodded slowly and chewed on his bottom lip.

"You didn't tell us everything did you?"

"It happens too fast to hold on to everything, you know. But I get flashes of things being so ugly and …dead."

"Who is dead?"

"Everyone." He whispered. "And it's all because of me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We have to save the family first, mom." Dean said gently. "You know that is what dad would want us to do."

Mary nodded slowly and brushed away tears. "I know, sweetheart. It's our job to save the people in the dark from the dark." She gave Dean a watery smile.

Dean touched her face and Mary cupped her hand over his. He never stopped being amazed at how beautiful his mom was and how she never seemed to age.

"Now let's get this show on the road. We've got more than one family to pull from the fire." She commanded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Sam moved stealth like through the front yard of the house where the family lived.

"The babies name is Rosie." Sam had told them. "I saw Azazel kill her mom, apparently moms get in the way. Dad's just crumble."

The men had guffawed but Mary and Beth exchanged knowing glances.

Now everyone was in position getting ready for whatever came their way.

"Dean, what if…" Sam started.

"No what if's." Dean snapped. "We are all getting out of this alive. Banged up but alive."

Sam started to say something else but the wind suddenly stirred strong and the lights began to flicker. "It's coming."

From inside the house came a blood curling scream and they rushed the front door. They both kicked it at the same time sending it flying against the wall with a loud crash.

The back door blew open as Bobby and Jonathan made their way inside. Mary and Beth rushing up the stairs.

A man came out of the dark with a bat. He swung hard barely missing Dean's head.

"Get out of my house." He screamed wide eyed. Seeing four strange men looming in his house.

Monica screamed upstairs again and Dean could hear his mom yelling at someone.

"Azazel." He and Sam said at the same time. They rushed up the stairs.

"Leave my family alone." The man screamed.

Bobby shoved him against the wall. "We're trying to save your family you friggin' idjit."

Jonathan grabbed the bat out of his hand and Bobby began to push him towards the door.

"Monica! Rosie!"

"How did you ever make it past puberty?" Bobby grumbled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Sam rushed into the baby nursery and stopped cold.

Azazel was right beside the baby crib. Mary and Beth both at a distance ready to pounce.

Monica was pinned to the wall slowly being dragged to the ceiling in terror.

"Well, well, look who decided to join the fun." Azazel sneered. He reached for Rosie.

"Leave my baby alone!" Monica screamed.

Azazel lifted his hand to snap her neck but nothing happened. His yellow eyes blazed into Sam. "You can't save them all."

"Maybe not but you're not getting what you want tonight." Sam growled and pulled the colt. He fired just as Azazel vanished in a swirl of smoke. "Son of a bitch!" Sam hollered.

Monica crashed to the floor and suddenly flames were everywhere.

"We'll get her out, you get the baby." Mary said as her and Beth grabbed a dazed Monica.

"No, my baby, my baby."

"They are going to get your baby, let's go." Mary ordered.

Dean started toward the crib and stopped as Azazel reappeared with Jade in his clutches.

Sam aimed the gun again.

"No way can you get me without taking her." Azazel jeered. "I'll take the baby and the colt and you go back to your pathetic life."

"Until when?" Sam gritted. "There is only one way this all ends."

Dean knew damn well that Sam wouldn't hurt Jade but Azazel looked worried for all of a second and plenty of time for Arandi to get the baby.

Azazel screeched and the flames spread. He shoved Jade aside as he reached for Arandi.

Sam aimed but the flames shot up in his face and he stumbled back. He grabbed for Jade pulling her behind him.

Dean surged forward because he knew that Azazel was going to hurt anyone that he could. If there was ever a time that Sam needed to be in control of his 'powers' it was now.

Azazel had Arandi in his grip and she was holding tightly to Rosie. Dean knew she would die to protect the baby girl. He could see the intent in yellow wicked eyes. The flames were everywhere now, the smoke making it hard to breathe. They were going to burn alive anyway if he didn't do something right the fuck now.

Regardless of his beliefs, he said a quick prayer. He tackled Azazel and Arandi with the baby full force and they all crashed through the large bay window and fell to the ground below.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	47. SALVATION FOR WHO?

SALVATION FOR WHO?

The room exploded out before they were even done falling. They would have been in that explosion if Dean hadn't taken the chance that he had. Pieces of wood, glass, and metal rained down after them. A fire ball whooshing out dangerously.

Dean had managed to turn himself to make sure that Arandi and the baby didn't take the brunt of the fall but miraculously as they hit it didn't quite hurt as badly as he thought it would.

The blow had been softened somewhat but the impact still left him slightly breathless and dazed.

Azazel had vanished with a scream of fury that left their ears ringing more than the actual explosion.

Dean lay still, Arandi in his arms and Rosie was giggling. He liked the kid. She had no idea that she had almost been dragged to hell or that her mother could have died horribly. Innocence could be beautiful. Too bad it didn't last damn near as long as it should.

Monica rushed to them and took her baby. "Oh my God you saved her, thank you, thank you but how did you know that awful man would be in our house?"

"My brother is still in there with his wife." Dean avoided the question.

Neighbors had begun to run over to help. Dean struggled to his feet and pulled Arandi with him.

Dean started to rush forward and he knew better than to try to keep Arandi behind. It was her baby sister in there like it was his baby brother. He would walk through the fire if that's what it came to and so would she.

Flames filled the doorway. They started to run towards the front bay window ready to jump back inside but the garage door started to go up and Sam stumbled out with Jade in his arms.

Neighbors rushed into the garage and managed to save the two vehicles since the kitchen was barely starting to burn and the keys were on the counter along with phones and a laptop.

People were grabbing hoses and doing what they could.

Dean rushed to Sam and helped him settle Jade onto the grass and it was then he noticed that Sam and Jade both held onto other things. Sam had a messenger bag, a diaper bag, and a purse slung over his shoulder.

Monica looked at him in shock as he passed things to her. Jade was holding onto a couple photo albums and an antique looking jewelry box. "We grabbed what we could. Figured this was worth saving."

"It's everything I would have saved myself." She whispered with tears in her eyes. She threw herself into Sam's arms. Her husband with Rosie looked on.

Neighbors were busy saving what they could.

Sirens neared and in the din of the new arrivals the hunters disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I could have had him." Sam growled angrily.

"You had your shot and you missed." Dean growled back. "If you think I was going to risk Arandi and Rosie so that you could take another one you're insane." He was tired and the smell of the fire was still in his nose. The sense of just how horribly worse things could have been fleeting through his mind.

"It should have ended tonight."

"It could have but it didn't. Did you really believe it would be that easy? We saved that family and that's what we headed in there to do in the first place. Bobby and Ellen are talking to them alone soon and making sure they understand the danger that they were in even if they have to fudge things a bit."

"Azazel should have died tonight." Sam persisted.

"You may be willing to risk everything for that cause but I'm not!" Dean had had it. He wanted it all to be over too but they were far from the finish line.

"I didn't mean…."

"Looks like you're more like dad than you'd like to admit. Want to use Kelly for bait next? Maybe do some target practice with Jade in front of the target?" He growled. His head was pounding.

"I get it, Dean, ok, I get it. I lost sight of things because we were so close."

"It won't be the only chance and now we have to save dad. Azazel is pissed and…" Dean couldn't finish.

Sam nodded.

They were all exhausted and hurting but they still had work to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you alright?" Dean asked Arandi after they had been driving awhile and it had been too quiet with just the sound of tires on the road. Sam and Jade were riding with the others.

"Little sore but mostly just thinking about that beautiful little girl."

"We saved them."

"Did we, Dean? Or was that just round one? When Azazel sets his sights on someone he hardly stops trying."

Dean sighed and rubbed a hand over his face to help clear his mind. "I really didn't want to think beyond today but now that you brought it up…." He pulled his phone and dialed. "Bobby, I think you better give that couple the speech about how they are not out of the woods yet. Yeah, Azazel hasn't stopped gunning for Sam. It might be the same deal with Rosie. Yeah, the whole spiel, open their eyes."

"Monica saw what happened. She can't live in denial forever."

"Just makes me wonder how many others yellow eyes has his sights on and how we can't possibly save them all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The warehouse was eerily quiet. Demons making rounds but demons weren't very bright. Why would an abandoned warehouse need guards?

Dean blinked away the exhaustion from his eyes. He was sore and tired and a million other things. He hadn't even dared to start to wonder how they had managed to walk away from that burning house. That was all going to be left for later once John, Jim, and Caleb were safe. When everyone was safe.

A chill ran up his spine. The things that could have done to them while the hunters saved that family.

Dean watched as Bobby signaled from another building that he couldn't see anything. The other's followed.

"Son of a bitch." Dean growled to himself but then he saw Meg storming across a patch of grass. If she was that pissed, then John was alive and raising hell even a demon couldn't handle.

Dean couldn't help but smile. He looked towards his mom who was smiling as well. He signaled to take the guards out on three and they were on the move.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean, Sam, Arandi, and Jade moved across the warehouse room by room. They checked every place for hidden rooms or anything out of the ordinary.

Mary and the rest were doing the same on the other floors.

Dean came out of the last room and started to walk towards the middle of what had once been a large conference room.

He gasped as he was flipped in the air and slammed against the wall full force. His shotgun and holy water falling from his grip. He slumped over unmoving.

Sam, Arandi, and Jade came running but stopped as Meg stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm so tired of all this bullshit. Give me the colt and give it to me now or I start killing everyone one by one." She moved forward menacingly.

The hunters moved backwards and exchanged looks unsure what to do.

"This is your grand plan? Come in here guns blazing like you have the upper hand?" Meg screeched. "I'm so underwhelmed."

"Too bad so sad." Dean said behind her.

Meg turned ready to rip him apart she was so done waiting and she rushed forward only to come to a sudden halt.

Dean's eyes moved toward the ceiling and Meg's followed.

"Apparently the bitch doesn't learn."

A huge devil's trap was above her.

"Gotcha." He gloated.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the demons had scurried and that left the hunters with only Meg and a male demon that had rushed into the devil's trap before she could warn him.

They still hadn't found a sign of John or the others.

"Where are they, Meg?" Mary asked with gritted teeth.

"They died hours ago and are floating in the river."

"Is that why you were so pissed earlier?"

Meg's face twisted in anger.

"They escaped didn't they?" Bobby nearly laughed.

"They didn't make it far." Meg hissed. "Not after what we did to them."

The loud gunshot made everyone jump. The male demon slumped to floor dead.

"Dean, what the hell…" Sam started. He thought the colt was still on him. He easily forgot how ninja his brother could be. He didn't say another word seeing the fury in Dean's eyes. He was brave but when Dean looked ten levels of 'death is coming for you' he kept his distance.

Dean stepped towards Meg who was wide eyed and for the very first time showing fear.

"Where is Azazel?" He asked low and menacingly.

"I don't know." Meg stammered looking down at the dead demon. No smoking out and going back to hell to start over, just plain dead.

Dean aimed the gun at her head. "Where is he?" He growled as he pulled the hammer back.

"He went after John. He's going to kill him for lying and for what you did to stop him tonight." She spilled like a squeezed wet sponge.

He glared at her for a moment before he lowered the gun. "Want the honors, mom?"

Mary instantly began to recite an exorcism.

Meg glared back at Dean until the pain was too much. The smoke left her throat with a reverberating scream and the body hit the floor hard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned against a wall trying to get a second wind. Actually more like his fifteenth. He watched with detached sadness as the girl that really was Meg woke up crying and completely terrified.

She was so grateful to finally be free but the demon had taken advantage of the body it possessed and she was a wreck. She clung to Ellen like a lifeline.

Dean stared at the body of the man that had also been possessed. He hadn't even thought twice about pulling the trigger. He had killed the demon for good but he'd also killed the man.

Meg's eyes met his, the fear now very evident. She knew that Dean didn't have to kill the man and he had looked ready to kill her as well.

Dean didn't lower his eyes. Why should he? Guilty as charged. He'd never be a saint; he was a world class sinner. Natural born killer.

"We need to get her help." Bobby piped up. "Ellen and I will take her to the hospital and meet back up with you."

They couldn't take the risk of calling for help and just put other innocents in danger.

"The hunters…." Meg pushed out. "More demons out there…. they will kill you all."

"Let them try." Dean growled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A light breeze blew across the lot where they stood silently listening for any sound that would help them find the missing hunters. The sun had come bright and harsh and somehow they still moved.

Dean's head was in a turmoil. He had seen the looks from the others for wasting a bullet on a mere demon and not saving it for Azazel. Well Sam had wasted one and he hadn't even hit anything so if anyone should catch hell it should be him.

He shook his head. He was rambling in his own mind because he knew that he had crossed another line but all he could think was that he needed to find their dad and the others.

He was tired and he was pissed and he just wanted the demons to know that he wasn't taking anymore shit.

"Dad is going to rip both of us new ones." Sam said at his side.

Dean huffed a laugh. "He'd find a reason even if we hadn't shot the colt."

"Probably."

A scrape of metal behind them made them turn. Jim stumbled out from an old security hut.

Sam caught him. He was beat to hell and barely able to stand.

"Jim, where's our dad?"

"He…. played decoy…they got him…. took him away." Jim managed before he collapsed.

They found Caleb barely conscious in the hut. "GPS...demon has my phone…..."

"We tried that already." Sam replied.

Caleb shook his head. "I have my phone set to automatically turn on every fifteen minutes for a couple minutes when it's off just for emergencies like this."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That's a trick you would think they would share with the rest of us." Sam grumbled as he ran the GPS locator.

Jefferson and Rufus had left with the injured hunters to get them the help they needed.

The rest of them had driven to the closest internet connection they could find.

Dean leaned back in the seat of the Impala. He was trying to doze just a couple of minutes. Arandi's hand in his gently rubbing her thumb back and forth. Cat naps supposedly worked wonders.

"I got it!" Sam shouted. "Apartment building about forty miles out."

"Let's get him." Mary commanded and they were on their way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They found the place full of civilians so Sam pulled a fire alarm all the regulars would bail but the demons would stay put with John.

Dean distracted a couple of fire crew members while Sam lifted a couple of uniforms. They were going in while the rest of them waited in the alley nearby.

Mary hadn't like it but she didn't have a decent cover.

Dean knew Arandi wasn't thrilled either but she knew that it was their dad so she went with it.

Dean and Sam wanted a faster way to figure out which apartment John was in than having to go door to door with EMF. They got their wish when an older lady with a Yorkie walked up to them.

"I know my neighbors are home, I saw them go in a few minutes before the alarm sounded but they won't answer the door."

"We'll get them ma'am." Sam offered behind the fire mask and led her toward the stairs.

Dean headed straight to the door with the EMF and sure enough it went off like crazy. He motioned for Sam to get ready with the tank that was now carrying holy water.

Dean knocked and in his most commanding voice. "You need to leave your apartment for your safety!"

A woman opened the door and Sam instantly sprayed her. She jumped back hissing as her eyes turned black and the water sizzled on her skin. A man jumped up trying to slam the door in the Winchester's faces but he got sprayed and he stumbled back.

Sam kept spraying until Dean shoved them both into a closet and poured a line of salt across the floor in front of the door.

They pulled off the fireman equipment quickly and rushed to the one-bedroom door.

They exchanged glances and then pushed it open.

John lay out cold on a bed hands and ankles bound to the bed. He was beat to hell and they had to get him out of there fast. More demons were banging on the front door.

Sam closed the bedroom door and spread a line of salt while Dean cut the ropes that held their dad.

"Shouldn't you test him?"

"Dude, he's got the same protection we do." Dean scoffed.

Sam stared at their dad and unable to help himself he pulled his holy water flask and tossed some at John's face. The only effect it had was rousing him which was good because they needed to move fast.

"Get the window open, Sammy." Dean ordered as he cut the ropes pulled John to his feet.

Sam rushed to get the window open and thankfully they were next to a fire escape and the alley where the others waited was just around the corner.

They got out the window and Sam spread more salt. It wouldn't be long before the other demons figured out where they were and would come after them.

John thankfully was moving along as best as he could under the circumstances.

No sooner had they hit the ground running than Sam was tackled to the ground and Dean was flung into the windshield of a car. Dean's layering of clothes had probably saved him from getting sliced up but he had to fight to stay conscious. The impact had been brutal.

John had slipped to the ground and was vulnerable.

Sam was being beat unmercifully by a demon and Dean moved to get to him but another demon came at him.

Arandi came out of nowhere raining down holy water on the demon on Dean, sending him screaming to the ground.

A shot rang out and everyone stopped moving as the demon on Sam and closest to John fell to ground dead. Mary had just used another bullet and that left them with only two.

"Hey, he might as well bitch out the whole family." She shrugged casually.

Dean smirked while Sam shook his head.

"Let's get moving." Jonathan ordered as he helped Sam with John.

They were almost to the Impala and the SUV when Jade fell to her knees coughing, barely able to catch her breath.

Sam passed John to lean on Jonathan to rush to her along with Beth.

"It's all that smoke she got in the fire earlier." Beth fretted. "We need to get her on oxygen."

"Get her to the hospital." Sam said as he lifted her into his arms and laid her in the backseat of the SUV. "Jade, baby, I love you…"

Jade lifted her hand weakly and placed a finger over her husband's lips. "You take care of your dad, I'll be fine and I love you too."

Jonathan had loaded John into the Impala and then rushed to drive the SUV while Beth sat in the back with Jade. She was really coughing hard and wheezing. Clearly exhausted.

Dean stared worriedly. They had started out with a small army and now they were down to five. Four if he could get Arandi to go with her sister.

"I'm not leaving you." She said before he could even begin the sentence.

"How the hell do you do that?"

"You'd be surprised what your eyes give away, man of million masks."

Dean huffed and shook his head.

Arandi went and whispered things to her sister. If anyone knew the choice she was making it was her baby sister. She would do the same if she was able. She knew that he could push the subject. Yell and demand that she listen to him to stay safe but she loved him all the more for treating her like she was more than just a female hunter.

They watched the SUV drive away then they loaded into the Impala. Mary with John in the back. Dean driving with Arandi at his side and Sam shotgun.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was completely dark by the time they reached the cabin.

Dean wondered how long it had taken Bobby and Rufus to accumulate so many cabins and hide outs but they sure did come to good use in dire situations.

The plan was that they would spend the night. Patch John up and all of them would get much needed rest once all the protection they could muster was in place. Then they would head home in the daylight where they were much better prepared.

Azazel was probably breathing fire at this point with so many complications to his plans.

Dean, Arandi, and Sam double checked the entire cabin while Mary tended to John.

They looked up in surprise when John hobbled out of the bedroom. Dean and Sam exchanged glances and sighed in unison. Only one thing would bring John out to them. He was going to begin drilling the afore mentioned new ones.

Mary stood off with her arms crossed, ready to defend herself and her sons to the bitter 'sleeping on the sofa' end.

"Where's the colt?" John asked.

Dean lifted his shirt to show him that it was tucked in his jeans waist band.

"It seems like everyone decided to take a shot get the feel of it." John went on meeting everyone's eyes including Arandi who stood by Dean unflinching.

"Get to the point, John." Mary groused.

John seemed to ponder deeply. "The point is you did what you had to do to protect the family. You all did good."

The sudden silence was eerie. The room suddenly thick, the air stale. Dean's hunter instinct buzzing loud in his mind.

Mary looked at him her mind running. Something was off. Way off.

Dean pulled the colt from his jeans, his heart racing, his mind screaming for it not to be true. "Get out of my dad you yellow eyed bastard!" He said stronger than he felt.

"Dean, I think you have a concussion, son. Put the gun down and get some rest."

Sam looked on wide eyed. Staring at Dean, then his dad, and then his mom over and over.

Dean responded by cocking the gun and pushing Arandi back.

"I don't know what has gotten into you, boy, but you're pushing your luck."

"Christo." Mary said behind him.

John lowered his head with a loud sigh of annoyance. "What gave me away?" He lifted his head and sneered as his eyes went yellow.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	48. TO WHAT END?

Warning for indications of non con both male and female.

TO WHAT END?

"The holy water?" Sam stammered.

"You really think something that like works on something like me?" Azazel crooned. "Daddy says hi by the way."

Dean could do it, he could pull the trigger and it would all be over. He'd be killing his dad but he'd be saving everyone else. A lot of everyone else's. Only it was his dad and well as many times as he had wanted to strangle the man a bullet to the heart was just north of extreme.

"Hesitation will always be your downfall." Azazel sighed happily. The gun flew from Dean's hand clattering against the floor and they all got slammed against the walls. Mary across from Dean and Sam in the middle of them.

Only Arandi stood in the center of the floor, frozen to the spot and she stared wide eyed towards Dean. She knew how to fight just about every kind of fight there was out in the world but this was her father in law possessed by a very powerful demon and she had no idea where to even begin.

She tried to step towards Dean but she couldn't and Azazel sauntered John's body up to her, he pressed against her leaning in to sniff her neck.

It took everything she had not to throw up her intestines.

Dean scowled and stepped forward he felt the slightest give on the force holding him. "If you touch her…I swear to God."

"What are you and your God going do, kiddo?" Azazel lifted Arandi's hair to his nose and breathed in deep. "I bet I could get off on just smelling her."

Dean growled menacingly and pulled forward again. He was off the wall for a couple of seconds before he was slammed back hard, air gushing from his lips.

"John, you're stronger than this." Mary said pleadingly.

"Is he, Mary, do you really believe that?" Azazel taunted. "Do you really believe that John hasn't had sinful thoughts about his daughters in law? Look at them and this fine piece of ass right here." Azazel cupped Arandi's ass and then coolly walked up to Mary and caressed her face. Pressing John's body firmly against her. "I'm possessing him but this…..." He rubbed his hardness against Mary's hip. "It's all him getting hard for younger ass. Why do you think he fucks you into a mattress at least twice a week? You think it's because he's still hot for you?" He walked back to Arandi.

Mary glared absolutely livid.

Arandi wanted to be strong but this was far more than she could handle and tears of anger and frustration slid down her face. Azazel reached around her staring at Dean and began to slowly undo her buttons on her plaid shirt. With two fingers he reached in and rubbed at her breast and kissed her neck.

"You son of a bitch." Mary hissed.

"Who me or your darling husband?" Azazel jeered.

Dean was going ballistic. Seeing Arandi humiliated was bad enough but the fucking bastard was touching her using his own father's body and in front of their mother.

"I just want a small taste." Azazel went on and rubbed against Arandi.

"Why are you doing this?" Sam yelled. "You told me you wouldn't hurt my family."

"I told you all bets were off if they came after me and they did."

"You knew we wouldn't let that family suffer."

"Next time word your crap better."

"Next time?" Sam went on hoping to distract Azazel away from Arandi.

"You're not ready, Sammy. You will be though soon after all the freaking crap still coming your way. Lot of shit still has to be shoveled."

"You don't get to call me that."

Azazel leaned in and slowly deliberately kissed Arandi's lips and pushed his tongue past them.

Dean felt something snap inside of him and heat coiled through him from the core and just like that he was free of the wall and he tackled his dad's body away from Arandi.

It was long enough for Mary and Sam to fall to the floor and Mary scrambled towards Arandi snapping her out of her stupor.

"Run!" Mary screamed opening the front door.

"Dean!" Arandi begged.

"Go, Arandi, baby, please run as far as you can go." Dean yelled still struggling with Azazel on the floor.

Arandi looked at John's eyes and felt sick to her stomach. With the heaviest of hearts, she bolted out the front door and didn't look back because she knew Azazel hadn't been acting just to piss Dean off. He had had every intention of raping her in front of Dean, Mary, and Sam and then probably would have snapped her neck.

Sam tried desperately to retrieve the colt from under the table but in a moment Azazel was back in control and they were pinned where they were.

Azazel slammed Dean on his back on the floor and straddled him. "You cost me a good time. Maybe I should take it out on you. I don't really care what suit it wears as long as I can fuck with a purpose." He gave a slow thrust of his hips.

"Dad, don't you dare let him hurt me like that." Dean pleaded. The revulsion that he had felt at what Azazel might have done to Arandi was now on him. He would take it all as long as Arandi was safe and he stayed the hell away from Sam. Azazel was a demon after all and demons did evil disgusting shit. John wouldn't be able to come back from that and neither would Dean for that matter. "Get off me."

"Or what, Deano, you gonna show us some more of that parlor magic?"

Dean blinked. He had broken loose but how? Had Sam been able to move him somehow?

Azazel smiled down on him and leaned in and licked a stripe up Dean's neck. He rubbed against him his hand sliding over Dean's very flaccid cock and he leaned in to kiss Dean slow and deliberate as if tasting him. He undid the button of Dean's jeans. He slid low and slid his hand into the opening his fingers brushing deliberately over boxers. He bit Dean's lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

Dean's body convulsed in disgust. This couldn't be happening.

The cabin began to shake. The windows blew in shards.

Azazel sat up and chuckled. "You don't even know do you? Oh that's just too funny. Both of you make quite the team in the 'I don't know shit' loser's club."

"Dad, please."

"You killed my children, my family." Azazel growled. "That's what you fight for, why shouldn't I?"

"I kill whatever deserves to die." Dean spat out.

He could see the colt out of the corner of his eye. If he could figure out how he had gotten free earlier, Sam could finally reach it.

Dean locked eyes with Sam. Silent exchange between the brothers and the cabin began to shake again all the furniture rattling all over the floor.

"You don't get it do you? You will never get it. But I will."

Dean gasped. Pain sliced through him from the inside out. He felt as if his chest was being pierced by millions of tiny blades and claws. In seconds his shirts were soaked in blood by the invisible attack.

"Dad, dad…..." Dean breathed. Blood stained his teeth dribbling down the side of mouth.

Mary was screaming at John desperately for him to stop hurting their son.

Sam was crying, screaming just as loudly, desperately trying to pull from where he was pressed against the wall. Dean was hurt badly already, blood pooling under him too fast to be anything but the worst. He watched stunned as the colt suddenly slid towards him and he was free.

"It wasn't you dad…." Dean sighed out. His eyes staring into Azazel's. If this was how it ended, he wasn't going to look away.

John's eyes blinked hard and he threw himself back. Dean felt the force slip away but he couldn't do anything but let the pain drag him away into the shadows.

"Dean, oh my God, Dean." John pleaded for the whole five seconds he was in control. Then Azazel was back and he jumped to his feet ready to play with the others since Dean was bleeding out on the floor before them. He hadn't come this far too not have some fun.

He turned to face Sam and Mary and stopped. Mary was standing behind Sam and Sam had the colt pointed at John's heart.

He smiled none the less. "You kill me you kill daddy." He sing songed.

"I know." Sam said evenly and Mary was apparently on board with the idea.

"Sammy …. don't…." Dean pushed past blood lips in a pained groan.

Azazel should know by now to never count a Winchester out of a fight.

Sam looked full of regret when he pulled the trigger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary and Sam watched helplessly as Azazel escaped John's body while he lay on the ground shot in the leg crying because their one shot at killing this miserable demon was literally going out the window.

Dean watched with half lidded eyes. Glad that dad was still alive but he wasn't sure if he was going to be much longer. He was cold and in so much pain and Arandi was out in some strange wilderness alone.

"Arandi?" He breathed.

Mary knelt by John. Her face unreadable. She tightened a belt around his leg without much sympathy even though she knew that John had just been a meat suit. Seeing Dean hurt so badly had her on the very verge of losing it and then her daughter in law out of their sight in a strange place and just for a moment she had thought that Sam was going to kill her husband and she hadn't exactly tried to stop him. Dean had stopped him.

Sam tended to Dean unsure where to even start. Dean moaned in pain. His arms crossed close to his torso shaking badly. "Hey, hey." He soothed. "Oh God, you've lost so much blood."

"Arandi." Dean barely whispered.

Sam knew that would be Dean's main concern even as he bled out the last drop of blood.

Sam stood up and walked towards the door. He stepped outside and screamed Arandi's name as loud as he could over and over and he listened for a response. Only sounds of the night in the woods came back to him.

"Dean, you know she's fast and she's probably found a car to hotwire and is in town by now. We have no signal out here so we have to get you and dad to a hospital."

Dean was in no shape to argue.

"I'm going to have to carry you." Sam waited for the argument.

Dean only blinked and closed his eyes with a pained sigh.

Sam's chest tightened. He looked at his mom and dad.

Mary looked about ready to kill as she was ready to drop. John was torn apart to see what his body had done to his family even though he had no control. In his mind was every awful thing that Azazel had planned for all of them.

"We'll find her." Mary sniffled. "Now let's get on the road." She stood up and pulled John to his feet.

Sam quickly helped his dad out to the Impala and then rushed back inside for Dean. There was no way to lift him that wouldn't cause him severe pain. Sam hated to have to do that to him but they had little choice. "I'm sorry." He whispered to his brother and Dean nodded. He knew it was inevitable.

Sam lifted him fast and Dean couldn't hold in the scream of agony as bones shifted in his chest. It was bad and he couldn't fool himself into otherwise.

For once both brothers were glad for unconsciousness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean came around once they were on the road. He was letting out slow pants, trying to figure out how to move to where the pain wasn't mind numbingly savage. He finally settled leaned oddly towards the passenger side back door.

"Dean." Sam whispered near him.

His name spoken so reverently, speaking a thousand emotions. 'I'm sorry. I wish it was me. I wish I could have helped you. I should have done more. I love you. I need you. Don't you dare leave me.' All and so much more in just his name.

"Sammy." Dean whispered back. 'Me to. Never you as long as I'm breathing. You are helping me. You did all that you could. I love you too. I need you too. I'm not going anywhere.'

Sam reached for his hand and Dean gripped it like a lifeline.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi's track training and her own personal training was coming in handy. She was a pro when it came to long distance running and she had been trained at the age of eight on how to survive in the woods with the barest of things.

She had two knives, her gun with three clips, a lighter and matches, her phone. She had her flask of holy water and even a small bag of peanut M&M's.

She didn't plan on being in the woods long though. She just needed to get her bearings and find a place that her phone would get a signal.

She didn't even know how long she had been running. She hated the fact that she had left Dean behind. What if he was…...? Now of all times she had listened to her husband.

She stopped and leaned forward and vomited her disgust at everything she had no control of on the forest ground. She leaned back against a tree rinsing her mouth with a swig of holy water. Dean was alive. They were way to connected for her not to know otherwise. She wouldn't let herself believe anything else.

She noticed smoke lifting into the air. There was someone camping nearby. She was wondering whether or not she should approach when she heard the click of a rifle. Crap she was just fucking up left and right tonight.

"What are doing out here?" A gruff voice said behind her.

"I was camping with my boyfriend and we got into a fight." She replied easily and turned slowly to face the man. Doing her best to look all innocent and 'I'm a helpless female'.

He was tall with light brown hair and a scraggly beard. He was in hunter's camo clothing and his eyes were already undressing her. In her haste to run for her life she had forgotten to button her shirt up.

The man licked his lips and ordered her to go forward.

She rolled her eyes, of course she couldn't stumble upon a church group or even boy scouts, hell no, she had to find the group of deliverance rejects.

He pushed her toward a large campfire and four other men already well on their way to drunk sat around it laughing. They all got the same ugly look on their face when they saw her.

"Look what I found. Best hunting trip ever." The guy behind her snickered.

They didn't have to say a word, they all just stood up eyes gleaming with disgusting lust. She could practically smell the rape in the air.

The wheels turning in their sick minds that they could actually get away with this. She was a weak woman after all against five big strapping hunter want to bes.

"Dibs since I found her." The guy with gun actually had to nerve to say. "We're going to show you a good time, baby." He breathed against her neck and reached to touch in almost the exact way Azazel had.

That was it. She couldn't take another moment of bullshit. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing." She growled and grabbed the man's fingers snapping them back in one quick flick breaking four fingers in his right hand. She saw the shine of a wedding band and that angered her even more.

These men would do something so disgusting and then go home to their wives and children and pretend that everything was normal. The man dropped to his knees screaming and the other men scrambled to get to her.

She moved to defend herself but the man whose fingers she had just broken grabbed her legs and she fell on her right side hard, her vision sparked up as her head connected with a tree root. She kicked the man as hard as she could manage in the face and blood sprayed from his nose.

One of the other men kicked her in the side she had fallen on she groaned in pain but just as quickly sucked it up. She rolled twice and kipped up instantly going into a flying round house even as blood ran down her face.

Crunching spray of more blood told she had just broken a nose. She heard the cocking gun and she dove, pain sliced through the same side. It was only a flesh wound but it still burned like crazy.

She pulled her own gun. She was so done with this shit. She shot the gun out of the man's hand and took out a knee. The only one not injured threw his hands up in surrender.

She came around kicking weapons out of the way. She pulled her fake FBI badge. "You so solidly fucked yourselves."

"You didn't say…" One of them stammered.

"Looks like I just did. Now take off your clothes. All of you!"

"I can't the." The one with the broken fingers whined.

Arandi stepped closer to him and aimed the gun at his crotch. "I think you can." She hissed.

The man gulped and moved to do as told.

They all were in pain but they did as told. Arandi looked pissed and they knew they had really pushed their luck.

She drove off in a jeep with all their clothes, they were going to have to do a lot of explaining to doctors and wives and sex wouldn't be fun for a very, very long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was barely clinging to consciousness in the backseat of the Impala. He was leaning heavily against the door of the passenger side. He was trembling badly.

Sam sat with him glancing at him every few seconds worriedly. He had tried to put pressure to staunch the bleeding but Dean had literally been ripped open from the inside out. He knew Dean was holding out to find out about Arandi.

He looked so fucking vulnerable and so much like a lost little boy.

They were on a highway now heading to the nearest hospital. Sam watched Dean painfully pull his phone from the pocket of his jeans. It was covered in blood and it made Sam hurt.

Dean blinked hard and a groan of pain escaped him. His hands shook badly and his breathing kept hitching. He tried to push the speed dial for Arandi's number but the phone was slick with blood and slipped from his shaking fingers.

Sam caught it and without a word hit the number. He was already covered in Dean's blood.

Mary was driving and John sat in the passenger side. The tension was thick.

"We had him." John groaned. "We agreed that it needed to end."

"We were supposed to know that you were going to be possessed? You really expected for one of us to have to face killing you? Tell me, John, would you so easily have killed me if the roles had been reversed? Would you so easily kill one of your sons?"

John fish mouthed.

"Yeah, not so simple at all is it? Nothing comes before my boys, John, you understand that? Nothing." Mary stressed and looked at her boys in the rear view mirror.

Sam had managed to hit the speed dial for Dean and was surprised when Arandi answered.

Dean tried to sit up but the pain made him nauseas and dizzy. "Arandi, where are you?"

"Oh my God, Dean." She breathed in relief but even over the phone she knew that Dean wasn't well. "I'm in a jeep I lifted."

"We're on…. the main highway… heading toward… the city hospital. Sam…. shot dad…... but not fatally…... and I'm… a bit messed up." He spoke slowly and slurred some words. "Azazel got away."

Sam rolled his eyes. 'A bit messed up' when he had lost pints of blood already.

"I'm a few miles behind you." Arandi replied worriedly. Dean was hurt badly by the sounds of it and Azazel was once again in the wind.

"What are we supposed to do now?" John asked frustrated and in pain.

"We still have one bullet and we…..." Sam was violently cut off. The eighteen wheeler came out of nowhere and slammed into the passenger side of the Impala.

The screeching metal and the breaking glass was deafening. Sam felt Dean collide hard with his own body and then blood splattered across the other window as Dean's head connected with his and then the glass.

Even the Impala seemed to be screaming as she fell apart from the onslaught.

Arandi heard it all and she was crying hard calling to Dean over and over. She floored the gas of the jeep.

The eighteen wheeler kept going with the Impala not a step on the brakes but full foot on the gas until they both plowed straight into a ditch and could go no further.

The driver of the eighteen wheeler smiled down at his work staring at the bent and broken Impala, his solid black eyes gleaming.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	49. TORN AND SHATTERED

Sorry for another long delay on this story. I ended up in the hospital again. Ten days this time and two surgeries. Seems like my body decided to fall apart all in one year. Still feeling like crap but pushing forward. Thank you all for your patience.

TORN AND SHATTERED

The demon jumped from the semi and sauntered over to the Impala. The car was bent in an impossible angle; all the glass shattered or cracked. He was certain that everyone would be dead or dying.

He just needed to get the colt and he would be in good with Azazel. He grabbed the driver side door and ripped it free. The metal giving an agonizing screech.

He didn't expect the colt being pointed at his head by a pissed off Mary Winchester. She cocked the gun, she was barely conscious but her boys needed her.

"You won't shoot me. You're saving that bullet for someone else." The demon sneered.

"You just tried to kill my family you piece of shit so do you really want to push me right now?"

The demon's smirk fell, no smoking out, no going back to hell, just dead. He bailed from the truck driver's body, he'd heard enough stories about the damned Winchesters to know they meant business.

Mary laid her head back in relief. She hurt everywhere, blood ran freely down the left side of her head.

The older man now unpossessed had fallen on all fours and stared at the wreckage. "My God, did I do this? Oh dear no, please."

"John?" Mary breathed.

Her husband was slumped towards her unmoving. She tried to turn her head to see Dean and Sam but her neck protested the sudden movement.

She managed to see in the broken rear view mirror both her sons were unmoving and Dean was even more hurt than he had started out. The brunt force of the impact had been where he had been. Neither of her boys had been wearing a seatbelt.

"Dean, baby, Sam, darling?" She breathed. Damn near a mother's panic. She could hear the trucker trying to call for help. If she had been the only one to survive she wouldn't be able to handle it.

She heard Sam moan and she let out a sob of relief.

Sam came around slowly. His left arm was throbbing and his head hurt. His face felt hot and sticky. Something lay over him heavily.

He tried to focus and he gasped. Dean had been thrown against him. His brother had lost a lot of blood as it was and now he had a long jagged cut down his forehead and another at his hairline on the left side bleeding profusely.

"Sam?" Mary startled him.

"Mom, are you ok?"

"I'll be fine. Dean?"

"Oh God, I don't think he's breathing." Sam nearly sobbed and reached with shaking fingers to feel for a pulse. There was no way to avoid all the blood.

"Dean?" Arandi was suddenly there making Sam jump and groan in pain. She had ditched the jeep up the road and ran the rest of the way. She leaned into the car and the sight of Dean covered in blood unmoving made her choke up.

"Arandi?" Mary blinked. "You need to hide the colt in the trunk."

Arandi heard her mother in law's voice. She stared at Dean, he would want the same thing. She quickly grabbed the keys and the gun and stuffed it into the weapons cache along with her own gun and knives. The trucker was up on the road trying to get a better signal. She made sure the protection sigils hadn't been damaged.

They were going to have to call Bobby ASAP for him to pick up the Impala before anyone started searching through it.

Right now she had to make it look as if she had been in the car too. She was hurt so she might be able to pull it off except for the bullet wound. One person shot was bad enough.

She saw all the broken glass laying around and the idea was painful but doable. She grabbed the largest piece of glass she could find and tore at her shirt to cover the bullet hole. She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth as she sliced into herself turning the path of the bullet into what could pass as climbing over broken glass.

She moved back to see Dean. Mary was quiet now and Sam held onto Dean like letting him go would cost him the world. He had found a barely there pulse and he was clinging to every string of hope that he could muster.

Arandi wanted to be next to Dean and hold him but she knew any attempt to get into the car would probably cause more injuries so she had to just contend with leaning in and touching Dean where she could.

"You're hurt." Sam pointed out the obvious.

"I'm fine compared to you." She replied.

"He's going to be fine."

"He better be or I'll never forgive myself."

John began to stir and Arandi's insides flipped. Would she ever be able to look at him again without feeling the utter disgust of the way Azazel had made him touch her?

She threw up just as the trucker came back around.

"Oh dear, you're throwing up blood. You shouldn't be standing. Help is coming." He was in shock too and would never remember that Arandi hadn't been there the whole time.

Arandi nodded but stayed where she was. "I have to be with my husband." She looked around. The lights of the eighteen wheeler were still shining, casting shadows under the car. They were so vulnerable right now.

She looked at Dean's beloved Impala. He was going to flip when he saw it but if she knew Dean at all he would have her back in mint condition with those magic hands. She wouldn't dare think that he wouldn't make it. She had to keep it together and hope that the rescue crew wouldn't put too much thought into where she had been sitting if she was in the car.

The sun was beginning to come up when the sound of sirens finally came.

The Impala was suddenly surrounded by police, fire personnel, and paramedics. One look at the Dean and a paramedic was radioing for a life flight.

In the light of day Arandi saw herself now covered in blood and exhausted beyond means. A paramedic pulled her gently away from the car.

"My husband."

"What's your name sweetie?" The lady paramedic asked her just as gently.

Arandi blinked at her. "Umm…. Arandi."

"Arandi, the firemen have to use the Jaws of Life to get to the back seat ok? You're hurt and I need to check you out while they do that alright?"

Arandi nodded tiredly even though she really just wanted to be by Dean. They had to get him out though.

She felt herself being pushed down and then she was lying on a stretcher. They put something around her neck. Words and so many noises flew around her. She felt her shirts being cut away.

She tried to answer the questions that were coming at her but she just wanted to know about Dean.

"Arandi, are you anemic?"

Dean worried about that all time. "Yeah. My husband?"

"We're taking good care of him ok, sweetie."

"Is he alive?"

No one answered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam waited as patiently as he could while a paramedic worked on Dean through the broken window. Sam was bruised and his face hurt from where Dean had impacted with him but besides a killer headache and a bruised arm he knew he was going to be fine.

His brother had yet to move or make a sound. He was so pale at least the parts of him that didn't have blood all over them.

Mary had already been taken away and John had been pulled out too. They had him on a stretcher and were getting him ready for transport.

Vitals and injuries flew back and forth and Sam could make out that John besides being shot had a broken right arm and bruising and cuts to the head.

A fireman came into Sam's vision. "I'm going to put these ear plugs in your ear. The noise is going to be right beside you so it's still going to be beyond loud. I'm gonna cover you with this insulated blanket just in case any sparks fly your way. If you start to feel bad just lift a hand fast. Daryl is going to slip into the backseat with you and get your brother as stabilized as he can so when we get you out and we can get you both where you need to be. Did you get all that, Sam?" He asked as he placed a neck brace on Sam as well.

"Yeah." Sam managed. They had asked him everyone's name when help had first arrived since he was the most alert.

Daryl slipped over the front seat and gently and carefully pulled Dean off of Sam. Sam felt a hard tug. Somehow Dean had managed to get a killer grip on his shirt and Daryl had to work his hand loose. Not a single reaction from Dean. Sam pushed the panic away.

Daryl slid a board in place and a neck brace around Dean's neck and Sam felt the ear plugs being put into place and the cover came up next.

The sound was unbelievable and Sam could just imagine Dean coming unglued with the extra damage being inflicted to his baby. He gritted his teeth. The Impala was like another member of the family. So this was like listening to her being tortured.

Even with that Dean didn't move a muscle.

Daryl gave Sam a reassuring smile when the blanket came down but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they were out of the car everything else moved fast. Sam could hear Dean's vitals being shouted and he knew they weren't good.

"Is everyone alive?" He asked over and over again. He kept being told to relax.

He tried to lift his head to look for Dean.

"Sir, please."

"My brother, please."

The paramedic didn't reply.

"Dean!" Sam yelled. He never wanted to hear his brother's voice so badly. "Dean!" He felt a prick in his arm and a sudden warmness in his blood and then everything began to fade away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam?" A voice cut into his darkness. He opened his eyes slowly and the light made him slam them shut again. "Hey, sweetie, the doctor is with the rest of your family right now but your cell phone has been going off every few minutes and I figured that someone is very worried about you right now. I would have answered but…..."

He opened his eyes again. A pretty blond nurse with the name tag Amy and playful kitten scrubs held his phone out to him.

He realized that the neck brace was gone and his shirt had been cut away.

"I'm not really supposed to do this but I would want to know, you know." She smiled.

He took the phone. "Thank you."

"I'll be right back just make it fast ok?"

He quickly dialed Jade. It had been her calling over and over.

"Jade, baby, are you alright?" He said as soon as she picked up.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

"I can't talk long. So listen please." He told her what he could fast and she began to cry but she listened. "I don't know how anyone is yet but please get a hold of Bobby and tell him he has got to get the Impala ASAP. I love you, baby."

"I love you too. I have to tell mom and dad and then we'll be on our way."

"You ok?"

"Rest and breathing treatments for a few weeks."

"Ok, ok." Sam breathed in relief, so glad that she hadn't been a part of the nightmarish night. "Be safe and I'll see you soon." Her being overcome with the smoke had probably saved her life.

Amy came back. He handed her the phone.

"You get everything on track?" She asked.

"Yeah, my wife, she's on her way."

"Oh, Marlene is going to be heartbroken that you're married." Amy chuckled. "She's the x-ray tech."

"How's my family?"

"The doctor is going to be here to talk to you in a few minutes."

Sam grabbed her hand as she messed with an IV. "Please, Amy."

She looked towards the door and whispered. "Your mom and dad are going to be fine."

"My brother?"

She looked at him sadly. "He's putting up a hell of fight but…"

She didn't need to finish for Sam to understand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean yawned and sat up slowly. One quick look around told him that he was in the hospital.

They must have given him some really good stuff for him to not be feeling any pain and he wasn't connected to anything. He really thought he had been done for.

He was alone though and that scared him. He remembered the impact of the accident and nothing after that.

He looked for a nurse call button and found nothing.

"Can I get some help in here?" He yelled.

Nothing.

Fine if they yelled at him for being out of bed it was all on them. He slipped off the bed and walked into the hallway. People walked all around and he tried to stop a couple of nurses but they brushed right past him.

"What the hell?" He said. He turned in a circle. "Will someone fucking help me out here?" He yelled at the top of lungs.

No one stopped. No one had heard him. Now he was going to panic. "Sam! Mom! Dad!" He hollered as he rushed down the hall. He passed a room and stopped cold. He slowly moved backwards until he could see into it.

He was looking at himself lying on a bed connected to way too many machines, a tube down his throat and IV's of all types.

He walked slowly towards himself and stared wide eyed. There was only one way that he could be out of his body and that was because he had to be dying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He walked slower now searching for his family. He was both happy and worried to find Arandi in a room. He had no idea how she was there but he was glad to see her. She was bruised and cut up and arguing with a nurse about him.

"I know you're worried, sweetie. He's in ICU and…"

"Is he going to live?"

"I can't tell you…."

"I'm his wife and I deserve to know." Arandi cried.

"I'll get the doctor for you." The nurse was gone before Arandi could protest more.

Dean walked closer to her. She was getting blood in an IV so she must have pushed the lines of her anemia. She leaned back on the bed and tears slid down her face.

"You better not die, Dean, do you hear me? You better not die."

"Not on the top of my to do list, baby." He tried to reach for her but his hand passed right through.

Still he saw her shiver and look around. "Dean?"

"I'm here." He whispered close to her ear.

The doctor came in then. He moved towards her and lifted her gown to check her injuries and Dean watched. "Who did this to you?"

"Your husband is in serious condition, Arandi, he's putting up one hell of a fight but he has liver damage, kidney damage, and his spleen was practically obliterated, not to mention severe head trauma. We did what we could in surgery but until he wakes up I can't tell you more. The doctor sighed. "If he wakes up."

"He's going to wake up." Sam said from the doorway.

Dean spun to look at him. He was bruised too and had couple stitches on one side of his face and a black eye but otherwise fine because he was in normal clothes.

"Miracles do happen." Dr. Harper halfheartedly smiled.

"Yeah, they do." Arandi said sharply.

"How is my sister in law?"

"She's going to be fine after the blood transfusion. I still want to keep her a couple of days to make sure. She had a slight concussion but can't recall how she got out of the car so I'm just worried about that."

She wasn't in the car. Dean thought but she had found her way to him and she had to make it seem like she had been in the accident as well. Had she hurt herself just to do that?

"My parents?" Sam continued.

"Both are doing well. We removed the bullet from your dad's leg and set his arm and he has one hell of a hard head to have been on the side of the impact and not get more head trauma."

"That's my dad."

"I'm also going to keep him a couple of days. Your mom is banged up and was a bit disoriented so I'll just keep her overnight to make sure. I'm really sorry that you were just trying to get your dad help after the hunting accident and then this happened to you."

"Really crappy twist of fate."

"In my opinion that trucker was way past the age of driving a rig anymore. He couldn't even remember anything until he said that he was just suddenly standing next the wreckage looking at all these people covered in blood. He doesn't have a scratch on him. No injuries of any kind."

"Should you be telling us this?" Sam grinned slightly.

"Not really but I think you deserve to know. You could have all been killed. Anyway, I'm on my way to check on Dean again and all we can do is wait. And if you believe in such a thing. Pray." With that Dr. Harper left.

"Have you seen him?" Arandi blurted the second the door closed.

"Yeah, they let me in the room for a couple of minutes. The accident masked the injuries. Like you masked yours."

She looked away rubbing her arms for warmth.

"What happened out there?" Sam prodded.

Arandi gave him the highlights.

"You were shot?" Dean growled even though no one could hear him.

"It was only a flesh wound." Arandi said. "I knew though that they were going to be super suspicious if there were two gunshots in one car so I had to disguise it a bit."

"Those men?"

She shrugged. "They were going to rape me so I gave them what they deserved.

Dean was going to hunt those bastards down and shove baseball bats up their asses and the word gentle would cease to exist in that moment.

"They might talk."

"I doubt it." Arandi scoffed. "I flashed my FBI badge, so they pretty much think they attempted to rape a federal agent and got their comeuppance for it. No man willingly admits to getting his ass handed to him by a woman when he started the attack in the first place. Besides I can just imagine the story they had to tell to cover being shot and a jeep going missing and the bit of outpatient surgery they received."

Sam lifted an eyebrow.

"Something my mom taught me a long time ago. If you say no, it means no and a quick flick of the wrist they will hear no for a long ass time to follow."

"That's my girl." Dean smiled. Man he wanted to kiss her so badly. His mind filled with his dad possessed by Azazel kissing her. He blinked. He so didn't need this crap.

"Jade and your parents should be here any minute. Do you want them to know everything?"

"I think we should leave certain things out." She whispered and shuddered at the thought of what Azazel had planned with John's body.

"You got it."

A loud beeping filled the hallway and medical staff started running towards the ICU doors.

"Oh God no." Sam whispered and rushed to follow.

Arandi paled and gripped the bed with both hands. She wanted to follow but her heart filled with fear.

Sam stopped in the doorway to Dean's room. He was surrounded by nurses and Dr. Harper was yelling clear. Sam jumped at the same time that Dean's body rocked up from the shock.

Dean had raced down to the room too and stood in shock watching the medical staff trying to bring him back. The machine showed a flat line and Dean didn't feel so hot in the form that he was in at the moment.

Then he saw the transparent figure hovering over his real body. "Who are you?"

The form turned to look at him as it reached for his body. Dean ran forward and grabbed at the form. It glared at him as he made contact and he fell back. It disappeared out the door in a rush and Dean saw the relief of the nurses and doctors as his body responded.

"Sam, there something trying to kill me." He said beside his brother.

Sam felt a chill go through him. He swore that someone had just whispered his name in his ear. "Dean?"

"I'm right here, Sammy, and you better hurry up and find some mojo or I'm toast."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	50. NOT EVEN DEATH

NOT EVEN DEATH

"I don't know what's going on but Dean is here." Sam said to Mary as he paced back and forth in her hospital room.

She looked at him confused.

"I mean here like now in this room with us. I can sense him."

She looked around. She was his mother. She should be able to sense him too.

Dean leaned against the wall listening and watching the exchange.

"The doctor said he's really bad off, Sam, we have to get him help before whatever it is you think gets worse."

"It's a reaper." John said from the doorway. He had hijacked a wheelchair to come see his wife and had heard the gist of the conversation.

"A reaper?" Sam and Mary both said together.

"It makes sense. It's the only thing that would come for Dean and not be able to take him since our son is probably being as stubborn as ever even in spirit form."

"Spirit form?" Mary shivered. "You believe that too?" She asked. "Is there a way he can let us know that's he's here?"

"He could try although since he's not technically dead, thank God, he might not be able to stay in any form." John explained.

Dean moved forward and tried to touch his mom. She didn't even flinch.

He was concentrating hard on moving something anything when he realized that Sam and John had started arguing. Apparently John had asked about the colt.

"Your son is dying and you're worried about the fucking colt?" Sam growled.

Dean couldn't believe it. It was to know they had their priorities straight. "Yeah, I'm dying and you two are fighting like cats and dogs on steak night." He swatted at Mary's glass of water and it flew and splashed to the floor. He looked up wide eyed. "I full on Swayze'd that mother."

His parents and brother stared at the spilled plastic water glass and then looked at each other. None of them were near it.

His excitement was short lived. Dean gasped and fell to his knees. "No, it's after me again."

The rush of medical staff started down the hall.

"No, not again." Sam cried and ran out to follow the crowd.

Dean pushed to his feet. He was getting weaker by the second but if he didn't fight he was a goner for good. He made it to the room in time to see not the form that he had seen before but a beautiful girl reaching for his body.

Sam was crying in the doorway. It had been longer than last time that Dean's heart had stopped.

"Don't!" Dean yelled.

The girl turned towards him. "It's your time to go, Dean."

"No, my family needs me."

"Do you think you're the first to die that hasn't thought that but the families moved on with their lives?"

The machines sounded with his heart beat starting again.

The girl looked perturbed but she moved past Dean and Sam and out into the hallway where Dean followed.

"Why do you look different?"

She stopped and looked at him. "I thought maybe if you didn't see my true form you might be more willing."

Dean huffed. "There is only one girl I'd follow into the light and sweetheart it ain't you." He snapped his mouth shut in alarm of what he had just said.

"It's not her time yet."

"Look…..."

"Call me Tessa."

"Look, Tessa. It's not my time either."

"Dean, you can come with me or you can stay but you need to know that you cannot get back in your body. You will wander around until you become one of the things that you hunt."

"I'm not leaving this world until I save my brother and make sure my wife is happy." He insisted.

"You're really cute and very stubborn but…..." She looked around confused.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"This can't be right." She murmured and disappeared.

He wanted to follow somehow but he noticed then that Arandi was stubbornly stumbling toward his room dripping blood from the IV she had probably forcefully yanked from her arm, a couple of nurses trying to coax her back to her room.

"Until I see my husband you had better back the fuck off or I won't be responsible for what I do."

The nurses looked incredulous that this woman that could barely stand could do a thing.

Dean snickered to himself. Fuck if they knew his wife at all. He moved forward since he figured assault and battery wasn't going to do them much good right now.

Arandi was standing by the bed now looking at his body and crying. She lifted his hand and gripped it. "Dean, I love you so much."

He got behind her and did his best to wrap his arms around her. Once again his mind filled with Azazel touching her like he had and he stumbled back. His hand slipped into Arandi and she jolted and crumpled to the floor.

"Arandi?" He called out but the same nurses that had followed her were trying to help her.

Was this his life now? Not being able to touch his wife because some fucking demon had nearly raped her in his dad's body?

Death suddenly didn't seem so bad.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stayed close to his room just in case Tessa tried any funny business.

He went to check on Arandi as often as he could and he watched as Sam and Jade split their time between rooms.

Beth and Jonathan had visited everyone but had stayed close to Arandi after her 'episode.'

Bobby and Ellen had arrived and the Impala was safe. Johnny and Jo showed up soon after but couldn't stay too long because of Kelly.

Johnny had lingered a long time with Dean and had spoken to him reassuringly and then cried because his sister didn't deserve to not have a family.

Dean watched and wanted to reach out to him but he was afraid to now. Jo had looked so sad and had barely stayed near him.

Arandi had given her, her happiness and she wanted nothing more than to do the same for her and she couldn't.

Dean didn't know what to do? He might have been able to kill Tessa when she was in ugly reaper form but now?

He paced the hallway from room to room just listening and watching. Down the hall on the other side alarms sounded and he rushed to go see what was happening.

Tessa was standing over a woman's body and the woman was looking down at herself.

"Why now?" The woman asked sadly. "I never got to go to Hawaii."

Tessa smiled gently as she took the woman by the arm. She looked at Dean pointedly. "Not many get to accomplish everything they want in life but I'll tell you what, I'll take you by there before I take you home."

The woman smiled. "You'll do that for me?"

Tessa smiled back. "Sure."

"Home?" Dean scoffed. "How can you call death home?"

The woman finally noticed him. "Are you coming too?"

"Not this trip."

Tessa smiled and turned with the woman and they vanished.

Dean headed back to his room. Everything was still the same so he headed to check on his parents. John was nowhere to be found; Sam was gone with Jade probably getting some dinner.

Beth was at the nurse's station. "My husband went to get us some dinner and I just came out to get some coffee. My daughter is not in her room."

Dean looked around and headed to Mary's room. He saw her making her way out of the chapel at the very end of the hall. He had such a feeling of dread.

Sam came off the elevator alone. Beth had gone off with a nurse so he didn't know what was up with Arandi. He walked to Dean's room looking straight at him but not seeing him.

Dean turned back to head to his room and Tessa was right in front of him only she didn't quite look the same.

She smiled at him and then Dean noticed her eyes were yellow. He tried to step back but she reached for him.

"Today is your lucky day, kid." She grabbed his forehead and Dean felt like his body was snapped like a rubber band.

He gasped as his spirit self slammed back into his body and the tube down his throat choked him. He grabbed at his throat and tried not to panic.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam had seen his brother near death more than it should be allowed. It was if he was trying to break some record that only those that knew his true life would be aware of.

The hardest part for Sam was seeing his brother so still and not even able to breathe for himself. This wasn't right it wasn't anywhere near the fucking vicinity.

Dean was strong and being still wasn't in his nature. Never had been, his mom still told of how when she was pregnant with her green eyed boy he was constantly kicking, like sleeping or letting sleep was against all the rules.

Dean was never one to follow rules but he got away with murder with his charm and sparkling eyes and that look that had most women and even some men giving in on a breath.

Sam had wondered more than once if his brother had practiced that under the lashes look in the mirror until he perfected it. He still laughed about the time that his very straight friend had met Dean just as he was coming home from track practice.

Dean had smiled at him and then pulled off his shirt. Chad had stared and turned to Sam later. "I think I'm gay for your brother."

"You wouldn't be the first." Sam had replied. Hell even he had taken a spin on that roller coaster. One thing he would take to his grave.

He had many memories of his brother but he wanted so many more. He needed to find a way to communicate with Dean but he didn't think a séance would be allowed and an Ouija board had been nixed by his mom. Bobby was looking into it for him.

He startled when he heard a loud gasping sound. Dean was awake, clutching at his throat and was gagging on the tube. Sam screamed for help and the floor broke into a frenzy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean hurt all over. He literally felt as if he'd been hit by an eighteen wheeler while being flung from a bungee cord but he was alive.

The doctor kept looking over his chart and staring at him. Everyone was in the room now.

"We talked about a miracle." Dr. Harper said incredulously. "You got one for sure. There still injuries but the liver and kidney are back to normal maybe a tad bruised up. You have no serious head trauma. I can't explain any of it."

Dean looked around. Everyone was happy that he was alive but according to the doctor he had died twice at the hospital and twice in the helicopter getting there. He should be dead so why wasn't he?

He didn't remember anything from the moment of impact to waking up with a tube down his throat and Sam screaming bloody murder.

Something was wrong. He felt it like a huge pit in his stomach.

"You need to get some rest and we'll run some more tests in the morning just to be sure." Dr. Harper said cheerfully as he left the room.

"You don't remember anything?" Sam asked.

"Just some of the accident and then waking up here."

Everyone looked from one to the other.

"I may have been born at night but not last night. One of you did something because I might not remember shit but my gut tells me I should be dead."

The silence and accusing looks spoke volumes.

Bobby rushed in with a stricken face and Dean's gut wrenched.

"The colt is missing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I didn't want it out my sight." Bobby explained. "So I had it with me in my truck in a sealed box with every protection ward I know. Whoever took it wasn't a demon or any other supernatural thing." His eyes raked the room.

"Where was your truck?" Dean asked.

"Parked at the motel just behind the hospital."

A nurse came in then to check Dean's vitals. "I know you are all thrilled to see this young man recovering but his blood pressure is a little high and he really needs to rest."

Dean wanted to tell her to take a flying leap but he held his tongue. He was very tired and his mind was in a turmoil.

"Can I please talk to my wife alone for just a few minutes?" He asked sweetly and worked the under the lashes look.

The nurse blushed. "Five minutes' young man."

Everyone else headed out and Arandi scooted the wheelchair she had been forced into closer to Dean.

"Arandi, please…..."

"It wasn't me, Dean, I was thinking about it but it wasn't me."

"We promised each other."

"I know what I promised but that doesn't make it any easier to accept."

"As opposed to being torn apart by hell hounds in ten years?"

"Dean…..." Arandi began and she reached for Dean's hand.

He could almost hear her heart break when he flinched at her touch.  
She looked at him sadly one tear sliding down her face and she turned and rolled out of the room.

He wanted to call her back. Ask for forgiveness, make everything cotton candy and butterflies but he couldn't and he didn't.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean knew he was dreaming and he really, really wanted to wake up. He was walking the halls of the hospital and everyone stared at him and murmured things behind his back.

"Can you do it, Dean?" His mom asked.

"Do what?"

"Can you kill your brother if he goes dark side?"

"What?"

"Well can you?" Arandi this time.

"You can't let him. You may have to kill him to save him." John said.

"It's not going to happen. Sam can fight it."

"Maybe I don't want to fight it." Sam appeared in front of him his eyes yellow. "Maybe I want to collect souls and damn you all. Can you kill me big brother? Can you watch the light leave my eyes?"

"Stop it." Dean begged and tried to back away. It was his dream he should be able to control it.

"You have to kill him to save him, Dean, you have to kill your little brother if he goes dark. You have to kill him."

Finally, Dean broke loose from the dream and gasped awake. Still he heard the words being repeated and he didn't know what to think as his eyes fell on the door to his room as it slowly swung shut.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was getting antsy being in the hospital. Even though all his tests had come back clear, they were still holding him.

Everyone else had been released.

He hadn't seen Arandi since he woke and the looks he got from everyone was enough to let him know that he had fucked up but something inside of him needed to be glued back to together and left on a shelf to dry. He just needed a little time.

Time away from everyone. He wanted to remember so much what had happened in his time of dying but try as he might it was all blank. It was late on the third night of waking that he lifted some clothes and made his escape.

He hotwired a car at the motel behind the hospital where Bobby and Ellen had stayed.

The colt was in the wind and the only shot at killing Azazel had blown away with it.

He called Sam as soon as he was on the road.

"Dean, is something wrong?"

"I'm needing some time to myself, Sammy. Don't be mad at me. This crap screwed with my brain and I can't…I can't get it together with everyone hovering over me. Tell Arandi I'm sorry. I do love her but I got to get this weight off of me before I can be me again." He hated dumping that on Sam but if he spoke to Arandi he might never pull away and he'd lose his mind.

"Dean, you almost died just days ago."

"Who says I didn't?" Dean murmured. He cut the call and threw the phone out the window as he drove.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was pouring down rain and he could barely see anything in front of him. He was dead tired and hurting in fifty different ways. He hadn't waited around for his prescription so he was on nothing but ibuprofen and whiskey.

He had stopped at Bobby's long enough to lift a couple of duffels from his wrecked baby. It broke his heart and he nearly broke down sobbing but he had to hurry.

He ran his hand over her lovingly. "I'll get you back to purring, baby, you just got to give me some time." And he would as soon as he got his shit together.

He had driven for miles not really following any given direction. So he was none too surprised to find himself at the Baker's driveway. They were experts now on putting a Winchester back together.

He had ditched the stolen car a couple of states over and bought the cheapest crap car he could off a used car lot. He would have it running like new in due time, if he wanted to do that anyway.

He parked on the side of the house and took a deep breath. It was just after nine at night and he was sure that Harold and Bernice would welcome him but he wasn't so sure about Mark and his wife.

"Only one way to find out." He said out loud. He groaned loudly when he pulled himself out of the car. He was hurting all over and he didn't even know how he had stayed on the road.

He wasn't going to bother with the duffels until he was sure he could stay.

Five steps up a porch had never seemed so daunting and he was soaked through before he knew it.

He knocked as best he could but leaned heavily against the door frame shivering uncontrollably.

Bernice was the one that opened to the door and as soon as he locked eyes with her he couldn't hold it in any longer. He had meant to say something cute with a dazzling smile but everything crashed down around him.

"Oh my dear boy."

Dean was heaving trying to breath and the tears blurred his eyes. She led him in the house and he felt stronger arms guiding him.

He was so tired just so fucking tired. His body gave up before he could explain a thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean gasped and flung his hands out to ward off whatever was trying to get him. He stared around a dim light the only thing lighting the room.

"Just another bad dream." A man's voice drifted to him.

Dean got the meaning that it happened more than once but this time he stayed awake. "Sorry."

"Nothing you can control." The man stepped into his line of sight with a glass of water and some pills. "I'm Mark we never officially met but I've heard so much about you." He smiled sincerely. He was the undeniably younger version of Harold.

Dean took the pills and water but looked at Mark quizzically.

"Just something to help with the pain that I know you're in right now."

"That obvious?"

"You can say that."

Dean realized suddenly that he was very much naked under a thick soft blanket.

Mark chuckled. "Don't worry my brother and myself undressed you before you caught pneumonia. We didn't look Scout's honor." He included the salute.

"Man, I'm sorry I interrupted family time." Dean sputtered as he tried to sit up a bit.

"Dean Winchester, you became family the second that you proclaimed my momma's pecan pie the best in the world and when you saved their lives."

"Oh thank goodness you're awake." Bernice appeared worriedly in the doorway with a tray and Harold at her heels.

Mark helped him sit up higher and Dean tried really hard to make sure everything stayed covered.

Another man walked in with some clothes. He was tall as well and had to be the brother. He leaned more toward resembling their mother. "You might want to let him get dressed first, momma."

"Mercy me, take away the small thrills in life and what do you have left." She winked at Dean and he felt his face heat up.

They gave him a couple of minutes to dress but Mark stayed close by with his back turned just in case. Dean settled back on the bed leaning against pillows and was tuckered out just from the effort of slipping on some sweats and a t-shirt.

Bernice slid his tray in front of him and they settled around him with trays of their own.

The smell of homemade chicken vegetable soup made his mouth water. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd eaten.

"This is our other son Steve." Harold introduce.

Dean gave a sincere smile and got one in return.

"They know everything." Bernice whispered as if there was anyone else around to hear.

Dean's eyed the brothers reading them but he felt no skepticism.

"Trust me. My parents have never lied to us a day in our lives." Mark snorted. "Besides this supernatural stuff is the reason I came back home."

Dean raised an eyebrow.

"I have worked at the same hospital for about ten years now. Big city you've seen everything and its dog type of place." Mark took a deep breath. "I've seen lots of death. Violent, accidental, intentional, and stuff I won't be able to explain to my dying day. One death out of all of those haunted me. Literally. Seven-year-old little girl accidently killed herself with a drill of all things. The father was inconsolable and he begged me to save her. There was nothing I could do. She had punctured her heart. He wouldn't except it threatened to sue me, the hospital the whole bit. That happens on nearly a daily basis. This man though he went home and came back with a gun, he shot a security guard and two nurses before he found me. Another security guard took him out before he got a shot off."

Bernice patted her son's back.

"Three days later. I was trying to get my life back in gear when the temperature in my office dropped like fifteen degrees and the lights started flickering. I saw him standing there. It happened every day for weeks. He would just appear; things would break or be thrown forcefully. A couple of others saw him but it was always me he was after. Of course I was afraid I would end up hurting someone or even that he would. Days later a man showed up. He said that a nurse had called him and told him about the problem. I had put up things I had stupidly bought at some hex shop. He took one look at them and called me and idjit."

Dean laughed then. "You had the honor of meeting my Uncle Bobby."

Mark smiled. "He was good. Ended the problem overnight but I couldn't stay there anymore. I came home with my family. You do that? Get rid of things like that and worse all of the time?"

Dean shrugged. "Someone has to do it."

"How in the hell do you stay sane?" Steve piped up.

"I haven't been that for a long, long time."

"So we gonna have to pull teeth or are you gonna spill?" Bernice blurted.

"Momma!" Mark chided.

"Oh he knows me."

Dean stared at his nearly empty bowl and took a long drink of sweet tea. "You might want to get comfortable."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean hadn't realized that he had slept for two days straight before the meal with the Bakers. He also found out that Mark's wife and kids were off visiting family for a couple of weeks, new baby and a mom with a replacement knee and such things.

Steve was visiting for a couple of weeks after a bad break up. He was the youngest and still not having found the one.

Dean told them everything. He didn't feel as if he needed to hold anything back. Well almost everything.

They were all silent as he finished up on ending up at their door.

"Geez, I thought my story was campfire worthy." Mark huffed.

"I've got some that will literally scare the crap out of you." Dean grinned. He was trying really hard to maintain the 'I'm fine' masquerade. So he wasn't too surprised with Bernice's outburst.

"You men can be complete idiots sometimes and that's putting it nicely." She stood up from where she had been sitting and knitting while she listened.

Mark and Steve both gave Dean a look that said 'sorry but you are on your own on this one pal.'

"You have a wife that lives this life with you, understands you in ways that most couples never ever understand each other, looks at you as if you hung the moon and the stars but one thing doesn't go your way and you leave her without so much as a see you around."

"I didn't leave her." Dean snapped. "I just needed some time."

"To what? To wallow in all the bad that happened to you. Oh poor little Dean he was the only one affected by the whole thing. He nearly died more than once. It doesn't matter that Arandi had to witness it all and die right along with you but hell why not give her an extra death by kicking her to the curb when she needed you as much as you needed her. Not to mention what you're doing to your poor mother and everyone else."

Dean felt the hot tears sliding down from his eyes but he didn't say anything. He just twisted the blanket in the killer grip he had on it.

"Make Arandi feel as if she could control what was being done to her by a powerful demon because you know she should just be able to do these things. Not to mention ending up in the woods with the worst kind of monsters. The human kind that let their souls rot with lust and greed. Yeah, let her handle all that alone because she didn't do anything but kick their collective ass to get to the only thing that mattered to her."

"Bernice." Harold said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Dean, I love you like you are one of my own but this time that you need I call bullshit."

"She sold her soul." Dean spit out angrily. "She said that she didn't but I know no one loves me that much. No one else would do that for me when they have their own lives to worry about. How am I supposed to live the next ten years knowing that's all I have with her? That one night I have to let her get ripped apart by hell hounds! And the rest yeah, maybe I am being selfish and so fucking jealous it burns like acid in my gut. Arandi is mine, she is mine and seeing and knowing that someone else touched her makes me want to rip hearts out and shove them down throats while they are still beating. Even my own father's possessed or not!"

"Imagine that." Bernice said softly. "A demon making you walk away from everything you live for and hate the world instead of him."

It hit Dean like another run away semi. She was right. This would be exactly what Azazel would want. To tear Dean from his family, where he couldn't protect Sam or Arandi. No one.

What the hell had he done?

He didn't realize that he was hyperventilating until Mark was in front of him trying to calm him. Steve was rubbing his back and murmuring reassuringly to him.

Bernice had her face buried in Harold's chest crying.

Black spots floated into his vision and he just had to let go for a little while.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	51. IN CASE YOU WEREN'T LISTENING

IN CASE YOU WEREN'T LISTENING

It was three days later that Dean came around again. He could tell that he had been fevered and the IV attached to him showed him how unwell he had still been. He stared up at the ceiling the ache in his chest hollow but all too real. Arandi, he had fucked up so badly he could taste it like a bitter pill stuck in his throat.

Bernice was suddenly there hugging him tight spilling warm tears over his t-shirt. She was beside herself thinking that she had made him worse. She didn't know yet just how good he was at hiding the worst. She had seen the love that Dean and Arandi shared with her own eyes and there was no way that she could have kept quiet.

He wasn't mad at her; she had actually said exactly what he needed to hear but what did he do now? He couldn't just walk in the door back home and act as if everything was perfectly normal. Puppies, sunshine, and rainbows. Besides if he knew his wife, and he liked to believe that he did, she was long gone as well. She was out there alone because of him and his sudden melt down. She could take care of herself of that he had no doubt but he'd seen her melt downs too and they could put her in danger.

He couldn't leave if he wanted to anyway. He still wasn't sure how he had made it to the Baker's front door. He could barely shuffle to the bathroom on his own without taking a nap. He had relapsed in the most grandiose of ways. Dean Winchester didn't do things half assed, good, bad, or one foot in the grave. He was a go getter.

He was sitting staring out the window in a recliner when Bernice brought him lunch and a phone.

She didn't say anything. She ruffled his hair and kissed him on the temple and left him alone again. Her subtle way of hinting for him to get his ass in gear.

He sighed and stared at the food and the phone. He nibbled on the baked chicken and veggies and reached for the phone.

Mary answered on the first ring.

"I'm sorry mom." He said right off. He rattled off for a couple of minutes. He snapped his mouth shut when he realized he was spewing.

"Oh, baby, I just needed to know that you were ok." She knew Dean would tell her where he was if he wanted.

"I'm good." He lied like always. Well he believed it enough for everyone. "How's everyone?"

"Your father is about to drive me insane being home all the time with his healing leg and broken arm. Your brother isn't making things easy either."

Dean knew that she knew exactly what he meant so something was wrong. "Mom?"

Mary sighed. "Baby, she left a couple of days after you did. No one knows where she is. She didn't speak a word or shed a tear, not in front of us anyway. She was just gone. She left a note that basically said to leave her alone and not look for her." The 'especially you' was left unsaid. It rang just as loud.

Dean wanted to punch something so badly. Himself preferably. His grip on the phone tight. This was all his fault. "I didn't mean to…."

"I know but…..."

"I made her feel unwanted and dirty?" He finished in a whisper. One tear sliding down his face. What the hell was wrong with him?

The silence on the other end was his answer. Even his mom couldn't help him with this grave he'd dug for himself.

"I gotta go, mom. I'll be in touch." He hung up before she could give him any sage advice or chew him out like he was sure she wanted to do.

He stared outside watching two squirrels run back and forth between two trees. He wondered what the hell had happened to the man that feared little and could take on a room full of vamps with his heart racing with the adrenalin instead of fear. He was Dean freaking Winchester and it was about damn time he started being him again.

Bernice came into the room to gather the tray.

"Sam should be here in a day or so." It wouldn't take his brainiac brother long to figure out where he was and he wasn't in the mood for running. Not anymore.

"Figured as much." Bernice shrugged with a satisfied grin.

Dean couldn't help but grin back. Looked like he had come to the right place to get glued back together after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sure enough early morning exactly two days later Sam pulled into the driveway in a truck with a trailer attached. He was alone.

Dean walked out to meet him. Mark and Steve on either side of him as if Sam was a threat. He really liked how the Baker family hooked onto a person and were instantly loyal. He wondered if they were all like that.

Sam pulled himself from the truck and stretched.

Dean watched Mark and Steve exchange glances. They were just a bit shorter than Dean so seeing the six foot five 'little brother' kind of threw them off.

"I let him eat all my snacks." Dean chuckled.

"Were your snacks laced with miracle grow and gamma rays?" Mark muttered.

Sam's warm smile made Dean take a deep breath of emotion. The next thing he knew he was being smothered in a tight hug but he didn't mind it all and returned it just as hard.

"Do you get paid to make me worry about you?" Sam groused.

"I'd be a millionaire now wouldn't I." Dean huffed, quirking a brow that he had actually admitted it out loud. He introduced Mark and Steve.

Sam shook their hand. "Thank you for taking care of my stubborn big brother."

"What's on the trailer?" Dean interrupted before he felt awkward.

"I thought you could use something to put back together besides yourself. Bobby and mom agreed." Sam headed to the trailer and pulled a large black tarp loose from bindings.

The Impala laid underneath along with spare parts and all the tools that Dean could possibly need courtesy of Bobby.

Sam raised an eyebrow as Steve put an arm around Dean's shoulder. "Did I tell you what I do for a living?"

"With all due respect, Steve, I really need to do this on my own."

"Well can I at least watch and hand you stuff because that is thing of beauty?"

Dean smiled. If he could say that about the wrecked shell of his baby. He was going to fall in deep love with the finished product.

"You're going to be able to put that back together?" Mark asked in disbelief.

"Dr. Baker, if anyone should have faith in putting a patient back together it should be you." Dean scolded. "Even when the patient isn't living and breathing they still have a heart.

Bernice rushed onto the porch and hugged Sam. She barely reached him mid chest on the tips of her toes. "I just got done making breakfast. So come on boys."

Sam's stomach grumbled. He smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry I made enough for the walking talking bottomless pit." Bernice winked at Dean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mark and Steve helped to clear room in the barn for Dean to work on the Impala. Harold just stood and gave orders.

Mark told Dean he could work on the car in couple of days but only for a couple of hours a day. Apparently he had made himself Dean's doctor.

Sam chuckled. "Have you met my brother?"

Mark shook his head but laughed. "Come on, Steve, let's go help mom move furniture."

"I thought he had his own practice now?" Sam inquired as the Baker boys walked off with their dad.

"He will soon. The other town doc is retiring and Mark will have his office and all the patients. He's pretty good. I haven't told him to fuck off yet."

They were silent for a little while as Dean sorted parts and tools. Bobby hadn't missed a thing. From the mallet needed to bang out not so serious dents to the smallest rear view mirror screws.

"I haven't been able to pick up her trail." Sam said softly. "She's just as good as her husband at disappearing."

"I'll find her." Dean declared. "I have to find her. I was a piece of shit for leaving like that. How's Jade?"

"Still having to deal with the breathing treatments and upset over her sister of course. Mom and dad are dealing too. Everyone is dealing."

"Because of me."

"Dean, Azazel attacked us as a whole. Separated us little by little but we were so intent on killing him we didn't see the bigger picture; you know?"

"Yeah, I bet he's counting on that to work for him when he makes the next move."

"We can't let that happen. Look, Dean, I realize that what Azazel tried to do through dad really was the worst of the worst lowest kick in the family jewels and I was there. I saw that horror we all shared it and you don't have to carry any of it alone."

Dean shook his head slowly. "What Azazel was trying to do to Arandi through dad was bad and I let it get to me. I let it bother me on one too many levels. I couldn't unsee it so to speak. Arandi, saving my life, the cost of it, that's what pushed me over. That's what I have to deal with."

"Dean, I don't know what you thought but Arandi was in the chapel with mom and mom left her alone so that she could say her own private prayers. She wasn't alone long enough to pull your miracle."

"She didn't lie?"

"Not unless that particular chapel has a hidden crossroad."

"Can I be any more of a fuck up?" Dean growled and kicked an old hubcap across the barn.

"You know I love you, Dean, but sometimes your double standards suck ass."

Dean turned to glare at him.

"Don't even act as if you don't know what I'm talking about. If it had been the other way around you would have dragged yourself even half dead to save her and don't tell me otherwise."

Dean turned back to face the barn wall.

"Yet you're also the first to crucify anyone else wanting to do the same for you."

"I should be dead and whoever did this…."

"Traded the colt and maybe that was it."

Dean scoffed. "As if any demon would make a deal that easy."

"I don't know what else to tell you."

Dean nodded with his hands on his hips. "I have no idea how to fix any of this. Running away was the worst thing I could have done but man I needed to breathe."

"Everyone knows that. Even Arandi knows that but you can't blame her for leaving."

Dean groaned and dropped his head. "Yeah, great. I not only left without saying a word to her but I left her with the man that tried to rape her even though he was possessed." He punched the wall hard enough to make the barn shake and Sam startle. The glass of an old lantern cracked. The room started to spin.

"Time for you to rest." Sam had him before he could fall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie sighed and stepped outside and stretched. Her shift at the hospital had just ended and she just needed to wait for Rob to finish his. She was waiting outside before another emergency swept her away.

They had three blessed days off coming and man after four straight double shifts and about sixteen hours of sleep in four days, she was so looking forward to sleeping.

Rob came out and they headed to their home. They were engaged now and a few months from the wedding. They had invested in a house.

Most people would say they were moving too fast. Maggie and Rob thought it was taking too long.

Maggie saw the crouched figure on their porch before Rob pulled into the garage. She also noticed the red handkerchief wrapped around one of the porch beams.

A sign that the Winchesters were near.

"We have company." Maggie sighed. She hoped like crazy no one was hurt badly.

"I'll get the coffee started." Rob said as he got out of the car to head inside through the garage.

Maggie walked outside as the door slid shut and headed to the porch.

Arandi sat in the shadows waiting.

"Should I be worried?" Maggie asked, looking around for signs of Dean.

"He's not here." Arandi replied.

"Oh God." Maggie panicked.

"He's alive, barely but he needed time to breathe. So did I without really realizing it."

"Come in then, tell us what you can."

Arandi nodded slowly and looked around the yard. "Sounds good."

By the time they got inside Rob already had things set up. He looked for Dean too but Maggie signed for him to shush.

Arandi sat down at their table tiredly and winced.

Rob poured the freshly brewed coffee and Arandi stared at the steam for a few minutes and then she told them what she could.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day way late into the evening after everyone had slept for hours, Maggie and Arandi sat on the porch with a mixed drink.

"You know he still loves you right?"

"I know. I also know Dean thinks I made this deal to save him and truth is I was going to try but apparently someone beat me to it. I get that he was upset with thinking that I was going to be puppy chow but we always fix things together. He flinched when I touched him. Like he thought I wanted to be touched by that demon. I haven't been able to take enough showers to get that sick feeling off of me."

"Why didn't you just wait then?"

Arandi smiled sadly. "I couldn't stand to look at Dean's parents. Not alone anyway. I have my mom and dad but they weren't there so… I know that John was possessed but still…...and Mary looked at me like she didn't want to be reminded of that night so I just needed to step clear. Dean and I are both the best at covering our tracks."

"So you're not going to look for him?"

"I'm not the one that walked away."

"Arandi…..."

"I know, Maggie, it was a fucked up situation and part of me wants to run and find him because sleeping alone is a bitch and I want make sure that's he's ok. I can't do that though. I can't look in his eyes and see that look, not again."

"He's going to come for you, you know that."

"Maybe but why should I make it easy?"

"Because you love him."

Arandi gave her a half smile. "Look who went and became an expert on Dean and Arandi."

Maggie laughed out loud. "Honey, I'm willing to bet you mega bucks that someday there will movies and books about Dean and Arandi, a supernatural love like no other. Jensen Ackles and Monica Barladeanu will play you in the movie."

Arandi laughed then. The first real anything she had felt since Dean had left. "I knew coming here was going to do me some good."

"Nurses know how to fix some things better than doctors."

They were quiet for a little while. Just listening to the night sounds.

"What if this was it, Maggie?" Arandi barely whispered. "What if our forever is over?"

"You can't believe that?"

"You didn't see the way he looked at me. You can still love someone and never be near them again."

Maggie sighed deeply. "When I met you and Dean you both changed my life in a thousand different ways. You opened my eyes to the real world, you helped me find the love of my life, and you showed me a love that doesn't exist outside of movies and books. I refuse to believe that Dean and Arandi are over."

Arandi opened her mouth but clamped it shut when Maggie lifted her hand.

"Enough said."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

If there were ever a competition for the most mule headed man in the world, Sam was sure Dean would win without even trying.

The couple of hours that he was supposed to spend working on his baby were thrown aside two days into the endeavor.

Dean woke at the ass crack of dawn and worked until someone would remind him that it was time for lunch and then dinner. He would then work until his eyes were drooping or Bernice would practically drag him inside.

The Bakers all looked on in amazement as the Impala came together almost like magic before them. It was the most patience Dean showed with anything.

Mark at first thought it was a bad idea for him to exhaust himself like that but in the end it ended up being the best therapy for Dean to put himself together bit by bit as well.

Steve could hardly believe that a little under two weeks the Impala was sitting in front of the house purring and gleaming like she just came off the best of the best car show.

Dean had gotten a little frazzled when he had to clean so much dried blood from the seats, both front and back. He had sat on the ground back to the barn wall shaking as the memories took hold. He just had to reminded himself that everyone had survived.

Sam knew that now that the Impala was recovered that Dean would start getting antsy. So he had been busy doing research.

Dean walked into the living room where Sam was writing notes.

"Hey, can I check something online." Dean asked as he sat next to his brother on the sofa.

"Sure go ahead." Sam shrugged.

Dean took the laptop and began to look through sites and checked his e-mails and sent some out. Nearly two hours later he put the laptop down and pulled his new phone from his jeans pocket. A gift from Sam.

He got up and paced to stare out a window while he dialed and Sam watched him curiously.

"Yeah, can I get connected to Rain Cadence's room please?"

Sam furrowed his brows.

Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Arandi, please don't hang up on me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had stayed with Maggie for nearly a week but being at their house while they were at work was unnerving and all she did was cook and bake and ended up have to replace a lot of groceries.

Maggie insisted she didn't have to especially since they now had a freezer full of meals that they just had to heat and eat. Arandi felt better though doing it her way.

"And she says Dean is the stubborn one." Maggie huffed to Rob.

Arandi left and drove for a while in a car that she had lifted from Bobby's, she knew he wouldn't report it stolen. She finally settled on a hotel close to the ocean so that she could at least walk and let the waves carry her away, mentally anyway.

She was on her fourth day there when the phone to the room rang. She plopped on the bed in shock of hearing Dean's voice.

"Arandi, please don't hang up on me."

She didn't say anything. She played through her mind how she hadn't left one bit of a paper trail. Had paid everything in cash and had used a name that she had made up on a whim. Side stepping the need for an ID with a little flirting with the hotel clerk. Hell she hadn't even hunted so that no one could follow a lead from other hunters.

"How in the hell….?"

Dean breathed. "I just had to follow your mind, your love of the ocean, the rain because it was the first time we touched."

"Ok, that still doesn't explain anything. There is more than one ocean. It rains everywhere."

Dean chuckled slightly. "You shouldn't have taken one of Bobby's cars and so plainly gassed up and checked into hotels in full view of street cams."

'Fucking lack of privacy.' Arandi grumbled to herself. Part of her had to have known all that but she had played herself stupid.

"Beautiful woman with incredible soul searching eyes, always gets me an answer." He continued.

"What do you want, Dean?" So part of her was still going to be in bitch mode.

"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean shit but I am. I ran like a coward something I have never been especially when it comes to you. This time I failed you, myself, and everyone."

She wanted to yell at him, tell him to leave her alone or worse but all she could see in her mind was Dean dying and being brought back. He was supposed to be dead, she knew that like she knew how to breathe. If things had been left to run their course he would be dead and she would be a widow and…

She began to cry.

"Arandi, baby, please, I'm sorry, please don't cry." If anything was Dean's kryptonite that was it and he couldn't do anything but comfort her with words. Tears stinging his own eyes.

They were hundreds of miles apart.

"I can be there in a day."

"Dean, I love you, I always will but right now, this is good."

"Arandi, I don't …."

"Goodbye."

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	52. CROSSED

CROSSED

Sam had watched Dean steadily improve over the days he worked on his car and just a few minutes on the phone and he was pale and looking as if he was going pass out at any moment.

"Dean?" He stepped towards the older man.

Dean held his hand to ward off his brother. He breathed deeply until he didn't feel like throwing up and face planting. "I'm ok, just didn't expect things to go that way." He should have expected it though. What he had done was something not that easy to forgive.

Mark came into the room and noticed the difference immediately. A knock on the front door ended any other conversation on the subject.

Mark answered and he welcomed the arrival with a large smile and hug. Kathleen walked in the door.

She smiled warmly at the Winchesters. "Didn't think I'd ever again have the pleasure." She hugged each of them.

"Have a seat, sheriff, I'll get us some ice tea." Mark offered.

"You getting formal on me?" Kathleen chuckled.

Mark blushed slightly. "Just being respectful."

"Still ain't gonna make me forget when you used to yank on my pig tails."

"Women and their steel trap minds." Mark huffed and rushed from the room.

They sat around the living room and Bernice stuck her head in. "Dinner is just about ready. I can set another place?"

"Sounds great, thank you." Kathleen smiled. She turned back to Dean and Sam. "I heard that you were here and I've sort of been going out my of head on what to do."

"About what?" Sam asked.

"Apparently Missy Bender is no longer a ward of the state. An uncle appeared out of nowhere and since there was no proof that she had any involvement in the killings and lazy ass system that didn't want to deal with her, she's gone and we know what's she's capable of and if that man really is her uncle then that horror show might be going on in another part of the country or she's gonna start one."

"What the hell is wrong with the law sometimes?" Sam growled and ran his fingers roughly through his hair.

"I tried to warn them but most of it was done before I was even advised and if I said anything more it would give you away and probably get me fired or worse."

"Do you have an address?" Dean asked.

"I wasn't allowed access to the file since it didn't pertain to any ongoing investigation. They pretty much made it look as if Missy was a victim in all the horror and they are trying to protect her and I'm pretty sure that she was smart enough to play along so she could have her freedom. All I was able to get was the name Damien Bender."

"Damien, of course." Dean muttered.

"I figured if anyone could track them down it would be you guys."

"We're on it." Sam said confidently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat on the porch swing slowly rocking back and forth and sipping on a beer.

As hunters they had so easily taken on the new Bender case but as soon as they had started to let it settle in all the horrors from the first encounter slipped into their minds.

Sam slid in beside him. "I didn't mean to jump the gun." He whispered.

"You didn't. It's not like we can let this go unchecked. It is our job to hunt evil."

"Yeah, but…"

"Yeah but nothing, Sam. It was a nightmare but we all survived it. Don't act as if we haven't been surviving nightmares for a majority of our lives."

"You have a point." Sam chuckled humorlessly.

"Besides this couldn't have happened at a better time. Arandi won't have to be involved and she can't get mad at me for leaving her out of it since it was basically her choice."

"Doesn't it scare you at all?"

Dean turned to meet eyes with his brother. "The only thing that scares me is that these monsters might still be destroying families."

"That's not what I meant."

"Ripping that monsters throat out with my bare hands was a comfort not a fear." Dean growled.

Sam nodded his head slowly and dropped the subject. He didn't dare push it when looking into his brother's eyes made him shudder from head to toe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You both are just gonna have to deal." Bernice grumped. "There was four of you last time and you came to our door half dead. You think just the two of you are going to fare any better?"

"Bernice, we are prepared this time and we don't have time to train anyone. Besides there are other hunters we can call on to help." Dean replied patiently though he had no intentions of dragging anyone else into the hunt.

"My boys have handled guns most of their lives. They grew up on a farm and had to deal with death. Maybe it was animals but Mark has dealt with death on a regular basis."

"You know most mother's try to keep their sons safe." Dean huffed.

"Exactly." She glowered.

Dean and Sam looked at one another. So they had an adoptive momma now. Stubborn as their natural mom and probably just as capable at making grown men tremble.

She had been one of three females in the midst of six men and she had been completely in charge.

"Mark, Steve, you really want to do this?" Dean inquired.

"We want to help. We don't want to do this for a living like you do but we want to know more or less what is out there and how to protect ourselves, our families, against the evil."

"They are monsters but they are human monsters."

The Baker's nodded.

"You have to remember, Dean, that those bastards killed our aunt before we ever had a chance to know her. They broke our mother's and grandparent's hearts. Not to mention what they did to Kathleen's brother. They were practically family when we were growing up. Who knows how much else they took from just us? Imagine that times all the bodies found. Imagine that times all the ones that will never be found.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks of understanding. "Alright." They replied together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had taken Sam a little over a day to locate Damian Bender. The man was apparently well adapted to staying off the grid.

"Losing your touch there, Sammy." Dean poked.

"As if you could do any better."

"I can't do everything."

"You gonna be ok?"

"Do I have a choice? I can just hope that all she needs is a little more time. That she's trying to make a point since I am the one that walked away. So anyway, what else did you find?"

"There has been a string of disappearances in the area but over a hundred and fifty miles from where Damian lives. When all this Bender stuff broke out his farm was searched but nothing suspicious was found. Though you and I know that don't mean jack."

"If he hadn't taken Missy I would be inclined to believe that he might have been the normal one but he had to have known. Pa Bender was a bit too happy to tell the tale of how generations of his family had hunted humans."

"You're not planning on killing Missy?"

"I just want her locked away because that girl will never be normal."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ok, so maybe we weren't quite ready for this." Steve groaned. He shook his head trying to clear it. He touched the cage walls warily.

"Dean, come on man, wake up." Sam coaxed his brother who had been knocked cold with the butt of the rifle hours before. They were in a cage together as were Mark and Steve.

The whole thing had been a trap. A trap they had waltzed right into thinking they were doing the right thing and now Mark and Steve had been dragged down as well.

How was Bernice going to deal if no one came back?

Sam felt like he was trapped in a very sick moment of a déjà vu. The cages in a barn with the locked key box.

The barn doors swung open and a tall man with brown hair and beard walked it followed by five others and Missy. A very pregnant Missy. Who was maybe nearing sixteen now.

"I knew that someone would bleed the news of Missy to you murderers and you'd come knocking." The man who had to be Damien chuckled.

"You're calling us murderers?" Sam guffawed. "That's rich."

"Everyone gets a chance to live."

"No they don't. You can't chance anyone escaping to rat you out. Just because you kill them on the run doesn't make it any less of a murder."

"I wasn't as naïve as my brother. I separated my home from my pleasure. When the police came knocking my family and I were squeaky clean, so to speak."

"Does every fucking douche have to monologue?" Dean groused and slowly sat up.

Damien's smile faded. "You. You're the one that brought the downfall of my brother and my nephews."

Dean stood up and locked eyes with Damien. "I ripped out Lee's throat with my bare hands. Care to join him?"

"You think rather highly of yourself don't you?"

"I am what I am." Dean grinned wickedly. "Nothing more nothing less, so if you're all the big man that you and your brother claimed to be then hunt me. See how well that goes for you. Hunt all of us." He challenged. "That is if you're not afraid."

One of the other men stepped up to the cage with a cattle prod. Dean could tell that it had been modified. He recognized the extra power pack because he had done that type of modification to more than one Taser himself.

It was going to hurt but it wasn't like it was the first time he had thousands of volts coursing through his body.

"What are you doing?" Sam yelled trying to pull Dean back.

Dean motioned for Sam to stand down and the prod pushed into his ribs. The current zipped through him hard, his joints locked and his teeth clenched. He never took his eyes off of Damian.

He reached for the hand of the guy holding the prod passing the current to him and the man slumped over after just a few seconds.

Dean took a deep breath and cracked his neck. "I hope you hunt better than that."

Damien glared at Dean for a few moments. "Get the others, boys, we got a hunt tonight."

"Wouldn't want you to feel outnumbered." Sam egged.

Missy walked up to the cage in front of Dean. "I'm gonna keep those pretty green eyes."

"Take a good look because they are going to fill your nightmares."

They glared at each other and she finally turned and walked away.

"Dean?" Mark said worriedly. The doctor in him knowing that Dean should be hurting big time after a jolt like that.

Dean tilted his head and with a half-smile.

Mark looked at Sam.

"He's had worse."

Mark didn't doubt it one bit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean's head was pounding from being knocked out and zapped but he pushed it back. The hunt was going to be their only shot at survival. The Benders not only had the privilege of home field advantage but they were also going to outnumber them.

He knew how to take care of himself and Sam did too. The hunters and the doctor and the mechanic. He snickered to himself. Sounded like a TV series or the beginning to a bad bar joke.

Sam leaned beside him. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Obama." Dean replied seriously.

"Dean."

"I'll be fine."

"If I had a fucking dollar…"

"Fucking dollars multiply faster don't they?"

"We're going to die today."

"Not on my watch."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sun was a couple of hours from setting when the gates of the cages clicked open. They all looked at each other. They were hungry, tired, dehydrated, and hurting.

They slowly stepped out.

"There are weapons outside the barn door. You'll have a five-minute head start then all bets are off." Damien's voice came over a loudspeaker.

Dean and Sam headed for the barn door counting seconds in their head. Mark and Steve at their heels.

The weapons they found were laughable. There were two fishing spears, a rusted over machete, and a wooden baseball bat.

Dean took the bat. He handed Mark and Steve the spears and Sam the machete.

He rushed towards the woods still counting in his head. The others behind him.

He looked around fast and moved to a spot where even is if someone was watching from a far they wouldn't see what he was up to and he knew Sam would be doing his best to cover the steps taken.

Dean found what he was looking for and he turned to Mark and Steve.

"I need you to climb up these trees as fast as possible, stay quiet, and don't come down until one of us calls you. If neither of us returns wait at least a day before you try to make a run for it." He directed. "You don't have much time so hustle and stay as hidden as you possibly can."

"We can help." Mark pushed.

"Trust me, Sam and I can handle this better knowing you're ok."

"Sam and you against what ten or more?"

Dean lifted an eyebrow and Sam snickered.

"I'm guessing they are the outnumbered ones."

"If we had real weapons it wouldn't even be fair to them." Dean gloated. "Now move it."

Mark and Steve began to climb up and scampered as high as they could go hidden by the branches and leaves.

Dean and Sam made sure there were no traces of the climb and then they rushed further into the woods.

With five seconds left to spare. They heard the call for the Benders to move into the hunt.

Dean and Sam looked at each other and only nodded. They had to split up and hated it. They had to face that this could be the last time they saw one another.

"Dean…." Sam sighed.

"Sam…" Dean replied.

There were no words for that moment. They stared with half smiles for a second and then they rushed apart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam growled with frustration. The machete he carried probably hadn't been sharpened since before he was born so the only good thing he could do was use if for blunt force trauma.

The Benders meanwhile carried rifles. They thought that was a fair fight.

He heard the breaking branch and ducked. The shot hit the tree where he had been seconds before. He stayed close to the ground and moved as fast as he could as more bullets flew over him.

He stopped moving and waited close to the ground. He was up with the machete breaking someone's nose and without thought he snapped the neck. So maybe Dean wasn't the only one that could take the hunt personal.

He grabbed the rifle and grinned. Winchesters one. Benders zero.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean heard the shots and as long as they kept going Sam was moving. When they stopped he stopped to listen. He heard the dove call and grinned. Sam had scored a real weapon.

"That's my boy."

He wondered though if the Benders carried extra ammo or if they were cocky enough to think they didn't need it.

The bullet zipped so close to him he was sure he felt the heat off of it as he threw himself to the ground cursing. This was no time for him to be off his game.

He listened intently to hear which way the shooter was coming. He could tell there were at least three coming in from different angles. Bullets versus bat.

He counted to himself and came up fast when the first shooter was within reach. The bat came down before the bastard even knew what was coming. Dean though didn't have time to inventory anything. It was bad enough that these monsters were of the human variety. Literally cracking skulls was going to take its toll.

The second shooter had been right behind the first and Dean shoved the tip of the rifle sideways as the shot rang out. The bullet taking down a third shooter.

Another one slammed the rifle butt into Dean's ribs and he doubled over, then dropped and rolled away before the man could take aim close up.

Now he had lost his bat. He heard shots further away and no way of knowing if Sam was on the receiving or giving end. All of the fucked up situation just served to piss him off to utmost end.

He jumped to his feet grabbed a low lying branch and kicked the shooter with both feet. The man flew back and hit another tree hard. Something cracked loudly. Dean didn't know or care if it was the tree or the man but he didn't get up.

Dean picked up the rifle only to find that the impact had jammed it and he tossed aside. He headed to the other shooter but he rushed behind a tree when he heard another.

He didn't have a chance to grab a rifle so he rushed further into the woods to make a stand some other way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam threw the now useless rifle aside. He had taken down three shooters but they all had different rifles thus different ammo.

He waited on a low branch of a tree and jumped on top of the next shooter. The man dropped the rifle and it slid away down an incline. They fought hand to hand until the man pulled a knife.

Sam smiled. He liked this part. Dean had taught him from a young age how to disarm someone with a knife. He stepped forward and easily took the knife.

He spun the man around when he heard the click of a rifle and used him as a shield. The man fell dead and Sam rushed into the woods. He hadn't been able to get a gun or knife and he had long ago tossed the rusted machete.

He heard the frustrated furious shout of Damien Bender. His little family was going down fast.

Sam wasn't sure how many were down or how many were left but he did know that Bender had no clue what was going to be the end result.

In the end he was going to regret ever giving the Winchesters a fighting chance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Generations of family cannot all be born so wicked at heart. It is ingrained into each person from the moment of birth to believe that it is the way of life. That they are normal and everyone else is the freak.

Hunting humans had been going on for years and they had been able to pull it off spreading out to different states and keeping it to a bare minimum.

Then Lee and Jared had to capture the wrong person. Got a little too cocky, a little too lustful for their own good and an entire family had gone down. Now they were to blame for this carnage.

Damien n looked down at his nephew's lifeless eyes. He thought himself a great hunter but just two men were doing this. He had tracked them he had no clue where the other two were hidden but he knew they weren't involved.

He long ago found the tossed the machete and the battered bat with the blood of his kin on it. He hated to admit fear but soon after he had sent his own sons back to the house to keep an eye on others coming to their home.

Out here where they hunted apart from where they lived Damien was suddenly not sure of what to do. If he left too on the pretense of protecting his home what would the others think?

His boys Levi and Calum were on their way home. The rest were cousins and nephews that lived the same life as they did but they were slowly being killed off and Damien was tempted to tell them all to go but he couldn't do that.

If the Winchesters and the others survived they would find their homes and everything would come crashing down anyway. Damned either way. No one would have looked for them if he hadn't decided to go for Missy. All of this was on him now.

He motioned for his nephew Curtis. "We're going to let them think they won. Gather the rest and we're going to head out. They will come out at the peak and we'll get them there."

The peak was the only exit from the woodland they were in at the moment even if they headed back to the barn. The Benders had made sure of that in case any of their hunts were that smart or trained. No one was meant to escape no matter what. Everywhere else led to endless miles of woods with hidden cliffs, ravines, and booby traps. No one survived for long.

Some would call it cheating. Damien called it smart business. The very few that thought they would make it out of there met their fate at the peak. The Bender fail safe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean heard the shouts passing back and forth. He and Sam had taken out enough of the supposed hunters to make the others take notice and want out quick, fast, and in a hurry.

The Benders were bailing.

He stayed where he was and listened. Far off over the night sounds he heard the truck doors and revving engines. He wished he could be sure if it was trick of some kind or if they were really running scared.

Damien wasn't a stupid man and neither was Dean. Dean knew that Damien had to know that if they let the Winchesters survive that they would come after them one by one. They could run try to start lives somewhere else but they would always have to look over their shoulders.

Somehow Dean doubted that Damien n was the running type but he was the cunning type.

There was a trap waiting. Dean was sure of that and he was sure said trap was probably the only way out too.

He waited a bit longer and then moved in search of Sam.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat on the ground the bright full moon overhead. Sam was crouched in front of him and Mark and Steve paced.

"It's a trap. So even if we get there they aren't going to give us any leeway. We are dead the minute they spot us. We killed half the family out here." Dean explained tiredly. "The question is do you want to die with us or live until they come out here and find you?"

Mark and Steve both stopped walking.

"This what I get for wanting to protect my family. I'm going to leave my wife to raise our kids alone." Mark growled.

"At least you had a chance to have a family." Steve countered.

"I told you this was a bad idea." Dean barked. "But no you both had to channel me and go all stubborn bravado."

Sam snorted. "Hearing you admit that is weird."

"You get a bit more 'my give a fuck is broken' when you're staring death in the face."

"We knew the dangers, Dean, and we still came so it's nothing on you. It's all on us."

Sam snorted again. "Dean Winchester takes on the weight of the world on a daily basis so don't waste any more precious oxygen."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Guys we're in, if you two can pull off what you did, I'm pretty sure we still have a fighting chance." Steve interjected.

"One for all and all four one."

"Can we be Regulators instead of Musketeers?"

"You get us out of this, bro, you can be Batman."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was only seven left and Damien everyone else had left to count their losses. The ones brave or stupid enough to stay behind all wanted a piece of the men that had killed their family members so they waited.

When Dean sauntered casually out of the woods straight out into the open holding a couple of mechanisms to some vicious booby traps, they were stunned and a couple began to lift their guns but Damien waved them off.

"Everyone is always into the monolog thing; just thought I should give it shot." Dean said calmly as he tossed the pieces of metal out in front of him.

"Where are the others?" Damien asked in a growl.

"Safe."

"You can't escape your fate and neither can they."

"You'd be amazed how many times I've done what couldn't be done, survived what shouldn't be survived, killed what wasn't supposed to die."

As if on cue a truck came careening out of control up the dirt road nearly taking out another truck. A younger man stumbled from the driver seat and staggered to Damien. "They're all dead." He cried.

"What are you talking about?" Damien asked and shook the man.

"Everyone the avenging angels killed them all." The man fell to ground.

"Jeb what…." Damien didn't finish. The man couldn't respond and never would. He had survived long enough to warn them. Damien let out an inhuman screech of fury. He lifted his gun and pulled the trigger.

Dean flew back hard from the impact of the bullet to his left shoulder. Damien loomed over him in the next moment rifle aimed at Dean's forehead. "For years we lived in harmony. Doing what we do and never being found out and you, you had to ruin it all. My family, the ones I love owe you nothing."

"Tell that to all the people out there still waiting for their children, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, to come home. The people you murdered in the name of sport."

Dean was screwed. He hadn't exactly planned on being shot so he was getting weaker by the second from all the life draining crap that he had been through since the hunt had begun. Even if he made a move he was only going to get shot again and probably fatally.

Damien growled and began to squeeze the trigger only to have to rifle blown from his grip when another shot rang out.

He turned to face the culprit an anguished gasp escaping him to find all the others that had stood with him now lifeless on the ground. All of them killed with silent deadly precision.

Dean sat up slowly and stared wide eyed. While Damien was sure Dean was part of it Dean had no clue what the hell was going on and if these 'avenging angels' were going to be gunning for him too.

"Show yourselves you cowards!" Damien screeched.

A hooded figure stepped from the shadows.

Dean blinked over and over again trying to stay conscious, trying to figure out 'what the hell'."Avenging angel?" He whispered.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	53. SIGHT UNSEEN

SIGHT UNSEEN

Dean stayed on his knees still on the ground holding his shoulder. His vision swimming. He stared as the hooded figure moved forward. Three others appeared as if out of thin air. All hooded, reminding Dean of Assassin's Creed.

"You dare come to judge me?" Damien blathered. "We've killed hundreds and you're barely avenging them?" He laughed hysterically. He yanked a large hunting knife from a sheath at his side and threw it with everything he had at the first figure.

The figure came up off the ground into a spinning kick flipping the knife back towards Damien and landing perfectly.

Even Dean's gut clenched at the squelching sound as the huge knife penetrated Damian's face to the hilt, the tip of the knife protruding from the back of his head. He fell to the side, his body twitching as he took his final breath.

Dean's vision was hedging into black and he fought the pull of unconsciousness. 'Angels with ninja skills? Who knew?' He thought.

The four figures moved towards him. He wanted to know a million things but his mind was a jumble. He couldn't move. His body had been through too much. Were they going to kill him as well? He took a breath; Sam would be okay somehow. He was so glad he had left the Impala behind. His heart ached to feel that he would never see or feel Arandi again. His mom…he blinked hard and he fell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean tried to snuggle into the fantastic smelling softest covers ever but pain shot through his shoulder and nausea rolled through him in a rush.

"Easy, easy, sweetheart."

"Mom?" Dean slurred sleepily.

"Right here."

"Where am I?"

"Back at the Baker place." She said as she ran her fingers soothingly through his hair. "Bernice said that if you don't stop coming through here on your last leg she's going to handcuff you to a bed and not in the good way."

Dean tried to snicker but even that hurt. "Sam? Where's Sam?" He tried to sit up and everything did an awful tumbling spin.

"Do you think mom would be sitting there so calmly if anything was wrong with me?" Sam said off to the side.

Dean breathed and laid still willing the room to exit carnival ride mode.

"Everyone is fine. You managed to stall long enough for the backup forces to arrive. I just want to know at what point you got a hidden message through because I was there the entire time."

Dean blinked. "What?"

"You're not going to tell me are you?

Dean blinked again. Maybe if he knew what the hell Sam was talking about.

"Let the man rest before you bombard him." Mark entered the room. "Mary, my mother is seeking your assistance in the kitchen."

"I'll be close by if you need me." She said as she leaned in close to kiss Dean's forehead.

Sam followed her out so that Mark could check the bullet wound.

"Is someone going to tell me what the hell happened?" Dean groaned as Mark prodded the wound.

"Sam was so sure you had everything to do with it and no one denied it."

"Denied what?"

"That you had called for backup when no one was looking."

"My mom?" Dean knew that his mom had once been a badass hunter and still was when she put her mind to it and though she had martial art training she had never learned anything beside the basics. Unless his mom was taking secret lessons…. His own father, the toughest most fearless man he knew, trembled when Mary was pissed.

"Your wife, dude, she's absolutely incredible and why would you dare walk away from her?"

"Arandi? She's here?" Dean tried to sit up again.

"Why are you acting like you don't know?"

Dean looked around. "I was knocked out, electrocuted, chased through the woods and shot. Give me a break, man."

Mark eyed Dean worriedly. "Maybe I should take you in to get examined."

Arandi walked in then. Dean's heart stuttered. He honestly believed that seeing her enter a room would always strike him dumb because he loved her so much and to him she was the most beautiful person ever.

Mark smiled at her goofily and Dean raised an eyebrow. "Go moon after your own wife, dude."

Mark blushed and rushed from the room.

Arandi stood at the bedside with her thumbs stuck in the back pockets of her jeans shifting from one foot to the other.

"How?" Dean asked simply. He reached for her with one hand and never hoped so hard that she wouldn't deny him.

Slowly her fingers brushed his and he grabbed on for dear life, pulling her towards him until she sat beside him on the bed.

"I was in motel room in another Podunk town. I was sure that I was just going to ramble around until I…...we finally got our shit together. One-minute I was lying in bed the next I'm packing my crap and speeding away. Without a doubt I knew that you were in danger and I knew where I had to be. Jade called me from here. The same thing had more or less happened to her but your mom and my mom wouldn't let her come alone. When we got the basic gist from Bernice of what you and Sam and her sons were up to we headed out and Kathleen gave us the cloaks. She had bought them years ago for some Halloween party and had kept them in storage. She said she suddenly couldn't stop thinking about them when she hadn't remembered them in years."

"Avenging angels." Dean whispered.

"That's what they all said."

"You killed them all, all the Benders?"

"We did. It was like an absolute direct order that I couldn't ignore and neither could Jade. Our moms just followed because hey they are our moms that don't like for any of us to be in danger."

"What do you mean direct order?''

"I can't explain; I mean how can I explain being able to find you without ever being to that place before or how we were able to find every single Bender home in that area? It was just all in my head. Just suddenly there."

"Missy?"

"Kathleen has her back in custody, this time in a mental ward because she literally snapped. She attacked a guard and bit off his ear."

"She was pregnant. I'm pretty sure that Damien was the daddy."

"She's never getting out. There is no one left for her and she can't live out in the world alone."

"I'm so sorry, Arandi, I can't even begin to make it up to you."

"You know when I saw Damien shoot you, all I could think was that I had done it all just to watch you die. He could have easily made the shot fatal."

"Yeah but haven't we learned that the bad guy always wants to gloat and in the end it spells his end. Speaking of gloating, that was an incredible kick that you pulled off."

Arandi huffed and shook her head. "Shot of a lifetime. All I was trying to do was kick the knife away."

"Bastard died easy if you ask me. What's the outcome?"

"Kathleen sent out reports of each location. So far it has been just as much of a massacre. Families will finally get some closure even if it is the things of nightmares."

"Are you ok?"

Arandi tilted her head and looked at him through squinted eyes.

"It's a habit I will never be able to break." He squeezed her hand gently.

"It was too easy to kill them all. There were no children thankfully they were all killers, Dean, every one of them had killed and enjoyed it. Tearing apart families like tissue paper and never feeling remorse. Even the women. It was as if they had no souls."

"Maybe they didn't. Who's to say that someone in the family long ago made a deal on some dark crossroad to hand over every soul for that life."

"As fucked up as that sounds it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Anyway are you hungry?"

"Maybe after I sleep a bit more." Dean yawned. "And you promise that you're not a dream."

"Go to sleep, Romeo."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"If all my patients were like you I would retire right now." Mark groused while Harold snickered.

He had found Dean working on a punching bag covered in sweat probably as much from pain as from the actual work out just a couple of days later.

"Walk it off, the Winchester motto number 10."

"This is how Dean deals with pain, Mark, accept it or go insane." Sam sighed seriously.

"Dude, it was one gunshot to the shoulder."

"I give up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean's stomach fluttered. He suddenly felt as if he was on his first date with Arandi as they walked through a meadow on the Baker property over grown with wildflowers.

"You gonna talk to me or pretend it never happened?" Arandi stopped walking and faced him. Dean handed her a bouquet of flowers he had picked along the way.

She took them, smiling nearly shyly.

"Bernice made the point that Azazel may have been able to influence us even afterward for a bit. She made a point that one side, Azazel's side was trying to separate us, all of us, and another side, the side that brought you to me out there is trying to keep us all together."

"Azazel is the demon side. So the other side would be the angel side. Makes sense since everyone was ranting about avenging angels."

"Angels? Why would angels need us?"

"Because we kick ass and we've seen it all."

"Then why not just appear before us and tell us what they need us to do?"

"I don't think angels work quite like that besides it's just a theory so far."

Dean grinned. "You're my angel regardless."

"You still have a concussion?" Arandi rolled her eyes.

"Just tear a guy to shreds."

"Dean…."

He took a deep breath. Focused on a sunflower in the distance. "It was hard to see him touch you like that using my dad's body. Hard isn't the right word it's not even close to the churning jealousy and possessiveness that rolled through me. He was so strong but I needed to protect you I was able to break through just enough. I can't tell you if it was me or Sam or both of us combined. I'm sorry, Arandi, so sorry that instead of supporting you that I let the ugliness of the situation blind me. I love you, I will always love you and I don't like it when anyone thinks they have the right to even look at you with wrongful thoughts."

A tear rolled down Arandi's face as she listened. Her voice cracked and low. "What if…. what if…"

Dean stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "I will love you no matter what. It didn't happen, baby, it didn't and I know how vulgar it had to make you feel and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you to lean on I won't ever make that mistake again."

"It was hard to look at your dad and not think of that."

"I know. He…. Azazel chose me after that." Dean said in disgust. He remembered to vibrantly how his dad's possessed body had rubbed on him, kissed him, the full intent of what he wanted in his eyes.

"Dean, oh my God, I'm sorry."

"Baby, to save you I would have managed."

Arandi captured his lips in the next breath. It felt like years since he had felt that warmth zap through him. The feeling of being so loved that nothing else mattered. He kissed her back and the world was suddenly right again even if just for a moment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean watched Arandi sleep. Neither of them felt comfortable doing anything in someone else's home but it was so good to be sleeping next to one another again.

He had walked away for the worst of reasons and like he had said he never intended to do that ever again.

He was having trouble sleeping with all the things playing in his mind about the situation with Azazel and the angel theory.

He had run it by Sam and his brother had gotten thrilled at the thought of angels wanting their help.

Dean wasn't so sure. Angels could do anything couldn't they? Why would they seek human help?

It was still running through his mind when sleep finally claimed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary and Beth loved the Bakers and they couldn't thank them enough for helping out their children the way that they had.

They had to head back home though knowing their husbands the houses were wrecked because between the two of them it was hard to believe they had survived on their own. Bobby was probably planning accidents.

Dean, Arandi, Sam, and Jade though intended to head out. Ellen had sent Sam an e-mail for a hunt and they were going to check it out.

"You can't avoid him forever." Mary said to Dean as he helped her pack her SUV.

"I'm pretty sure I could." Dean replied.

"Dean…."

"Mom, I know ok, you were there. Just gotta give me and Arandi time to breathe."

"I won't lose you or your brother. You know that right?"

Dean looked at his mom reading her. "I guess I know now." He smiled. Maybe it was selfish but it was sort of refreshing to know that his mom would send their dad packing at the word of her sons. She didn't deserve that though. John hadn't been in control.

After a wonderful lunch the women headed back to their husbands.

"We should head out too." Sam blurted.

"I thought we were going in the morning?" Arandi asked looking from Dean to Sam and back.

Dean too was surprised. He was about to protest but something about the way his brother was looking at him told him they needed to go. "Oh I forgot to tell you that Sam and I decided to leave today. This hunt might get a little intense. You know how Sam hates clowns."

"Alright then, Jade and I will go pack and you get to break Bernice's heart." She walked into the house.

"Sam, what the hell?"

Sam pulled out a few folded papers from the back pocket of his jeans and handed them to Dean.

Dean unfolded them and began to read. He was halfway when he looked up at Sam.

"I thought about pretending that I hadn't found what I thought I found but then I put myself in your shoes and I would want this too. Just know you're not going alone."

"Let's get on the road." Dean pushed past his brother determined to get miles flying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The minute they walked into their motel room Dean was all over Arandi.

It had been too long and he just wanted to push the bad that had happened to them aside and…...

He pulled back. "You're ok with this right?"

"I'm fine, Dean. I'm not letting any demon take this away from me or any other sexual deviant."

"Mmmmmm." Dean replied as he went back to work kissing her neck as he tried to undress her at the same time. "I missed you so much."

"Me too." Arandi breathed. She fell onto the bed Dean right on top of her.

They didn't waste a moment before they were wrapped in each other and passion filled the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I can teach you to play pool, baby girl, no problem." The half-drunk bearded man breathed on the young girl.

"I was just trying to play with my friend." The girl replied with her nose wrinkled.

"I can teach your friend too. I have a couple of friends we could all have a good time."

The girl moved backwards. "No thanks." She ran into another male on crutches. Who made sure that he 'accidently' touched her ass.

The young girls began to get really scared. They had just turned twenty-one a few weeks earlier and they wanted to hang out in a bar to feel older but these old dirty men, five of them by the looks of it didn't get the hint.

"We got to go."

"Oh come on. We could really show you a fun time."

"She said no." A rough voice said harshly.

The girls turned to find a very good looking green eyed man and another taller good looking hazel eyed man right at his side. Now these were the type of men they wished had offered the good time.

"Get your crap and go." The tall one said to them.

They both fished mouthed.

"You two pretty boys should go in a corner and fuck yourselves and mind your own damn business." The beard said.

"Go."

The girls quickly rushed away.

"How do you fucks live with yourselves?" Dean asked as he stepped forward. "Nobody wants to fuck you so you think rape is the way to go."

The five burly men stood tall as if they had the upper hand. "You don't know what you're talking about. I don't know though, Stan, doesn't he have a cock sucking mouth."

"Yeah he does, ask the tall one he probably knows for sure."

They all guffawed.

Dean walked up to the beard. "Listen, Earl, I'll fuck you but not the way you're hoping."

"How did you know my name?" Earl asked.

"Does Betty know you do this, Earl?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm the nightmare you're going to have while wide eyed awake bumpkin."

Earl looked over to his pals still bruised and aching from their 'camping trip'. They had spun quite a story of being jumped by a biker gang and had fought them off within an inch of their lives. Of course they never mentioned having their asses handed to them by one woman.

"I'm not afraid of you." Earl bristled.

"That's one mistake you'll regret." Dean said coolly. "The other is messing with my wife."

"The whore probably asked for it. They always do." Earl sneered.

Dean moved so fast the others barely saw him move and Earl was suddenly gasping for air. He grabbed at his throat and stared wide eyed at Dean.

"I pinched a nerve, Earl, if I don't release it in less than a minute you're going to shit yourself and die on this bar floor like the scum you are. Still think my wife is a whore?"

Earl shook his head vehemently.

Dean casually leaned over and poked Earl's neck with his middle finger.

Earl gasped and leaned heavily against the pool table tugging in lungs full of air. "Who the fuck are you? We are in a bar full of people."

"Somehow I doubt no one in this place gives half a cent about any of you dicks."

"You need to go before we call the police." Stan stammered.

Dean looked at Sam. "They're gonna call the police."

Sam shrugged and made and 'oh well' face.

"You go ahead and do that." Dean challenged. He and Sam pulled their badges at the same time. "Tell them the FBI would like to have a word."

The men exchanged glances. All of them visibly shaken. "We don't want any trouble."

"Too late." Dean growled low. "The millisecond that you dared touch my wife and made her feel dirty and made her have to fight."

"Who the fuck is your wife, man?"

"That would be me." Arandi stepped from the shadows.

The look on the men's faces said it all.

Dean let his chin drop to his chest with a rush of air from his lips. He thought he had left Arandi at the motel room sleeping soundly after their rousing make out session.

"You didn't really think that Jade wouldn't find the same info, Sam?" Arandi asked as her sister stepped beside her.

Sam shrugged sheepishly.

Arandi stepped closer to Dean. His eyes averted to the floor so sure he had just crossed a major line but she ducked down to get him to look at her.

"Thank you." She said simply.

The side of Dean's mouth curled slightly. "Which one of these fucks is the one that shot you?"

She really didn't have to answer. The culprit gave himself away with the loud gulp and wide eyes that were trying to find the nearest escape.

Dean's eyes darkened as he slowly lifted his head. The intent less than hidden. "I have killed men for just looking at her cross eyed." He moved towards his target but one gentle hand from Arandi and one from Sam on each shoulder stilled him. He growled menacingly. "Know without a doubt that your lives end tonight." He said just loud enough for the men to hear him and no one else.

They all startled when two of the neon beer signs above them cracked and flashed out.

Dean took Arandi's hand and turned and walked away with Sam and Jade right behind them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What did you do?" Arandi asked at the diner that Dean had headed to after dropping off Sam and Jade because he suddenly needed pie.

"Right now they are shitting themselves looking around every corner and probably at each other's throats like rabid dogs. All I had to do was bait them. Interestingly enough Stan just happened to have some very, interesting and quite disturbing pictures and videos on his laptop that he so stupidly carries with him. Sam was in less than two and let's just say their wives got some interesting e-mails."

Arandi smiled huge. "That's what you meant by their lives ending tonight?"

Dean wagged his brows. "Two coffees and some of that blueberry pie with whipped cream." He told the waitress as she reached the table.

Two cop cars zoomed by the diner with lights flashing.

"And so it begins." Dean laughed. He took Arandi's hand. "I know you can take care of yourself but things like this, well…..."

"It's your job. I've known you forever remember?"

"Even forever won't be enough."

Arandi blushed. "I know."

Dean startled. Arandi's foot was slowly moving over his thigh. "Baby?"

She smiled coyly at him.

The waitress placed their pie and poured their coffee.

Dean let out a little gasp as Arandi's foot curved over the intense erection that made it's not so subtle appearance.

"Everything alright, sir?"

"Fine, just fine." He squeaked.

Arandi sat completely calm pouring cream into her coffee, sly smile on her as she acted as if the coffee was the most important thing in the world at the moment.

"Arandi." Dean breathed.

The waitress turned a couple of times but finally made her way over to another table.

"Yes, love." Arandi replied innocently.

"You're not thinking of…..."

She smiled wider.

"Dear God." He whined.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Katie had been waiting tables for years. She hadn't planned to make it a forever job but is sort of just happened. She made great tips. The diner being on a main highway with lots of traffic. They had a good menu and the place being open twenty-four hours made good business.

Her husband worked the graveyard at the local plant so she worked the graveyard at the diner. Their two kids had left home already so sleeping during the day was fine and they got every Saturday and Sunday off to do whatever they wanted.

Katie had seen just about everything there was to see in that diner. People fighting, making out, even doing cocaine on a menu. She was used to it. Didn't bat an eye if the tip was good enough.

When the model looking couple had walked in she had instantly done a mental run down the list of celebrities she knew because these two were just too damn pretty to not be famous. She had come up empty but she couldn't help but stare at them. The man was mouthwatering and if Katie swung that way that raven haired beauty would be her cup of tea.

Katie had chuckled to herself. She hadn't had thoughts like that in years.

She had served them coffee and pie and the man had seemed a bit tense suddenly. Katie tried to figure out if she had done something wrong as she walked away.

The couple was pretty much her only table in that section. So no one else in the diner could see them unless they strained their neck.

Katie stood behind the counter perplexed wondering if she had screwed herself out of a tip. She was about to go back to the table to refill their coffee.

She picked up the fresh pot and started to go around the corner when she caught site of the green eyed man's face. His head was slightly thrown back his eyes hooded and his mouth open breathing in tight little pants.

Katie knew that look. She hadn't seen it look quite that hot in a long, long time but she remembered it. Her mouth went dry and she nearly dropped the scalding pot of coffee. She turned to look away bright red she was sure and proceeded to knock some plates to the floor that clattered loudly.

She looked reluctantly towards the couple and green eyes light and bright and so blissed out were glued to her. He said something to the woman and she turned to look biting the corner of her bottom lip sheepishly. Katie had never in her entire life seen eyes that shade of blue almost silver with diamonds thrown in for good measure.

She had so just had her gay moment.

The couple got up and headed towards her. The woman pulling the man by his hand. All Katie could think was how talented a person had to be to pull that off with their feet.

"How was the pie?" Katie asked and wanted to kick herself.

"Best damn pie I've had in a long time." The man said as he pulled out his wallet his eyes locked on his companion. Who was sort of bouncing from foot to foot.

He pulled a hundred-dollar bill out and looked at it. He handed it to Katie with a million-watt smile. "Keep the change, sweetie." He said with a wink that made Katie wish she could have just a taste of that drink of water.

"Just for pie?" She stammered.

"Great pie, great coffee, great service." The woman said this time, her smile with just as much voltage. She began to pull the man after her. She turned and winked at Katie too.

Katie stood stunned and wondered how Phil was going to feel when she jumped his bones the minute they got into bed in the morning?

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	54. MONSTER YES MONSTER NO

MONSTER YES MONSTER NO

They had barely made it to the room before clothes had flown and they had been tangled up in heated passion for hours.

It felt so good to be able to just turn over and have that person you love so much right there.

He was all for making up for every single minute they were apart. She didn't seem to mind one bit.

The lazy morning sex had led to shower sex which led to a fantastic blow job right before they were going to walk out the door.

It had stopped there only because Sam and Jade had come knocking.

Dean gave Arandi seductive looks that promised much more to come.

"The motel clerk gave me an earful." Sam grunted. "She knew Earl and the others, they had even harassed her a time or two. Anyway she was on the verge of doing cartwheels. They are all locked up, except Earl, facing charges for statutory rape because apparently some of those videos were of underage girls."

"Why isn't Earl locked up?" Dean asked ready to do something about it.

"Seems that Betty was fed up with his shit and one of the girls was her very own niece. She played it cool waited for Earl to go to sleep thinking he'd lucked out and then she not only cut little Earl off but she put in the blender and hit puree. No chance of reattachment."

"Oh damn." Dean cringed. "Is she locked up?"

"Are you kidding? The cops are probably going to give her a medal after they get their hands on all the other stuff that's probably hidden away."

"Can't say the bastard didn't deserve it." Arandi added.

"Let's get some breakfast and then hit the road. We got some killer clowns to hunt."

Sam groaned.

"Don't worry, Sammy, Jade will protect you." Dean laughed. "I feel like eating some sausage links."

Arandi and Jade headed to the Impala and Dean started to follow but Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"I wasn't sure if I should say anything in front of Arandi but the other guy, the one who shot her, he ..."

"He what, Sam?" Dean asked with impatience.

Sam looked out to make sure their wives were in the car. They would have to tell them eventually but right now Sam just wanted to see Dean's reaction. "He was found in his cell dead. Surrounded by broken glass and his eyes exploded. No way in or out other than right in front of a dozen other officers. Security cameras stopped working for twenty minutes."

Dean licked his lips as he locked eyes with his brother. "And?"

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"You think it was me? Somehow I have the ability to walk through walls now?"

"One witness in another cell said he woke to screams and breaking glass he claims that he saw a man with glowing eyes and passed out. No one believed him because he's a junkie. The others were still being processed."

"There you go." Dean huffed. "Besides I was in all night and a little busy." He smirked. "He lifted his boot see no..." He was going to say no broken glass but the bottom of his boot was littered with it.

Sam felt a chill run through him but it was impossible wasn't it? So he gave his brother a give. "I was just saying, dude, besides you walked through a bar parking lot full of broken bottles so I know it wasn't you. If it was you, you would be bragging painfully." He headed for the car wishing he felt as reassured as the words were supposed to make him feel.

Dean only shook his head and followed. He was more than sure he would remember something like that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean could totally get why Sam hated clowns. After this hunt he wasn't all that thrilled with them either.

Only in the end it wasn't a clown but a Rakshasa taking the form of a clown because they couldn't enter a home without being invited first. Most children would invite a clown into their home.

It didn't help Sam's phobia at all.

They all really hated that the evil Hindu creature could tear the parents to shreds and leave innocent children to live with the guilt that they had let their parent's killer inside their homes.

They had to get hired on at the circus where they were sure the creature was blending in since every family torn apart so far had come to that circus first.

Dean and Sam had been hired as clean-up crew and Arandi and Jade had scored assistant jobs with the blind knife thrower and a magician.

It had been a close call but they finally pegged the knife thrower and Sam had taken him out with a pipe organ pipe.

Dean promised to cut out the clown jokes and pokes well at least for a week. Two tops.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's like vampires have taken over the world." Dean growled as they drove down the highway. It just seemed to him that every other hunt involved vamps and he really hated the blood suckers.

"Just find us a motel so we can start figuring out where the fuckers are staying." Sam groused. Vamps weren't his favorite things either.

Dean pulled into the first motel he found. Sam went for some take out while the rest of them sorted through the information they had.

Dean's phone went off and he stared at his phone.

"Dean?" Arandi asked in a concerned tone.

"That's my dad's ringtone." He muttered. He thought about letting it go to voice mail but then he snatched up the phone and answered. "Yeah?"

His dad cleared his throat as if surprised to deal with a live person. "How's it going, kiddo?"

Dean tried hard to suppress the feeling of his skin crawling. "Doing good. On a vamp hunt right now."

"I heard and that's why I'm calling. Bobby and Johnny had been looking into this hunt but dropped it when they found out there was another hunter already on it."

"You telling us to stand down?"

"No, not at all but I am telling you to watch your back. This hunter his name is Gordon Walker and he can be really intense. He hunts alone so he really doesn't know about watching anyone's back. He's his own person if you know what I mean."

"The type to step on toes to get his way?"

"Something like that. Let's just say that he's not going to be thrilled with the extra company. Ellen can't stand him and Rufus would just as soon chop his head off as he would a vamps."

"Ok we'll keep our eyes open."

"Good. Let me know how it goes."

"Sure thing." Dean hung up before anything else could be said. Sam had walked in just moments before so Dean let them all in on the conversation.

"Gordon Walker?" Jade wrinkled her nose. "Dad doesn't like him either. Remember, Arandi, he's the one that got dad shot on the chupacabra hunt."

"How can I forget? Dad showed us picture and made us promise to never ever be on the same hunt with him. Arandi's phone went off. "Speaking of the devil."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi played pool while Sam and Jade played darts.

The bar they were in had seen more than one disappearance in the past few weeks and all the people had been found completely drained of blood with puncture marks on their bodies.

Vamps didn't just go for the neck like on the movies.

Dean and Sam had gone into the police station to ask questions as reporters but the sheriff was pretty cut and dry. He had his own reasoning for every detail.

Dean had quickly gotten frustrated and was pretty sure that every arrest made by that particular sheriff could come under serious review.

Arandi sauntered up to Dean as he reviewed what shot to try. "Corner table in the dark, that's Walker." She said with a grin like she was telling him a joke.

Dean smiled and laughed along. He walked around the pool table until he was at an angle to check Walker out without being obvious. He looked at Sam and his brother got the gist right away.

Walker was watching them as he drank beer from a large mug. Dean tried to read as much as could of the bulky looking black man but he just drank and stared. He didn't give much away.

"He knows we're hunters." Arandi stated. "Pretty sure he knows who we are by now."

"Yeah, well if he doesn't I'll make sure he knows before it's all said and done." Dean promised but when he looked over again the table was empty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean walked back to their room from the ice machine. He stopped cold when he felt the blade at his throat.

"You know I expected a lot more from a Winchester."

There was a grunt and a slam. Dean turned slowly, cocky smile in place. Sam had Walker pinned to the side of the building with Walker's knife now at his own throat. Arandi and Jade stood on either side with knives of their own at his temple.

"I'm pretty sure they've got my six." Dean replied coolly. "So who's got yours?"

"I've done pretty well on my own."

"Using others that's gotten old, Gordo."

"You've heard of me."

"Only because our dads hate your ass." Arandi hissed.

"Listen in a bad situation it's cover your own ass pretty much, sweet girl."

"You didn't just fucking…" Arandi began.

"You realize that's my wife?" Dean hissed.

"No harm meant." Gordon huffed. "Now can you please tell your six to back the fuck off?"

"What makes you think they are going to listen to me?"

Gordon looked up at Sam's angry face. "Come on, Sammy."

Sam shoved into Gordon hard. "Only he gets to call me that."

"You're just batting a thousand there." Dean snickered. "Listen closely. We are here to hunt vamps and you might as well accept it."

"I've been hunting this nest for nearly a year, I've got it covered." Gordon hissed.

"A year? What are you like planning to propose or something?"

"I want to make sure I get them all. Just one living makes more so precision works."

"Sure, whatever gets you through the night."

"Just stay out of my way."

"Come on guys our pizza is getting cold." Dean said but kept his glare on Walker.

Sam backed up slowly. Arandi and Jade followed. They all began to walk away.

"Hey, that's my knife." Gordon called out.

Dean pulled it from Sam's grip and spun fast throwing the knife. The knife zipped straight at Gordon and pinned his collar to the wall. Dean lifted his brows slightly a half smile on his face. "Precision works."

Gordon made no response. He only stared with wide eyes until he remembered to breathe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What the hell is Walker's story?" Sam asked.

"Vamps broke into his house when he was barely like eighteen. His parents were out but they took his sister and turned her. He looked for her until he finally found her about a year later and he killed her."

"He killed his own sister?"

"She really wasn't his sister anymore." Jade pointed out.

"She might have been different but she was still his sister." Sam insisted.

Dean looked at Sam. 'Can you kill your brother if he goes dark side?' He had pushed that dream out of his mind and this brought it all back in an instant. "Could you kill me, Sammy?" He asked in a whisper.

"I would try to save you first a million times over."

"Me too."

Arandi looked between the two brothers. She wanted to ask but the look on Dean's face said he would rather forget it all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was spooned snuggly behind Arandi deep in sleep when the banging of the door made him startle awake. He and Arandi were on their feet guns drawn. This was becoming a habit he would gladly do away with.

"Dean, Arandi!" Jade yelled on the other side of the door.

Arandi rushed forward and opened the door prepared for anything but only Jade stood there looking panicked. "Sam's gone. He went to Impala to get a book and that was over an hour ago. I looked everywhere on the property."

"You think Gordon?" Arandi asked already slipping into her clothes along with Dean.

"Only if he has a fucking death wish."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean drove all over town trying desperately to pick up a clue. They were nearly three hours into the search when Dean saw the familiar shaggy haired giant walking on the side of the road near the motel.

Dean screeched the Impala to a halt and he jumped out grabbing onto his brother instantly looking for injuries. Besides a lump on his head he was otherwise fine.

"What the hell, Sammy, was this Gordon."

"No, Dean, it was the vamps."

"What? How many did you kill?"

"None."

"Sam, how hard to you get hit?"

"Listen, Dean, listen to all of it before you go ballistic."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the room. Sam told them how he had been taken by the vamps but that this particular nest was trying desperately to stay alive. They weren't killing humans' only cattle and other farm animals.

"You believed them?" Dean asked in shock.

"Look at me, they let me go."

"All vamps are monsters. We have to kill them all." Dean argued.

"Why? I thought we only killed what killed other people?"

"It's what we were raised to do, Sam."

"Oh I forgot that dad can't ever be wrong. God forbid."

"Don't."

"I'm not killing these vamps, Dean, they practically begged to be left alone and I'm sorry but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt."

"I can't." Dean insisted. "Vamps have been such a pain in my neck."

"Very funny." Sam huffed angrily. "Just once I would like it if you thought for yourself instead of instantly retracting to dad said this dad said that."

"Sam, shut the fuck up." Dean warned.

"It's true. If he says giraffes shit gold and sharks walk on land you'd take him for his word."

Dean shook his head angrily and turned to walk away. Sam grabbed his shoulder a bit too hard and Dean threw the solid punch before he even thought about it.

Sam stumbled back a couple of steps and blinked away the buzzing in his head. "Hit me all you want. I'm not killing those vamps."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Good vamps, Arandi? Sam wouldn't make shit like this up."

"I know."

"So what do we do? Just pack up and leave. My….." Dean groaned. He was about to give a damn what his dad thought.

Arandi watched him closely. "It's your call, babe. I hate vamps as much as you but if they aren't killing humans why would we hunt them."

Dean scoffed. "Maybe they should hunt us since we've killed more than a handful of humans in the last few years."

"All of them monsters."

"What does that make us?"

"No better than them if we kill for no good reason." Sam said from behind his brother.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine whatever but I have to see this for myself. I won't kill anything unless it tries first."

"I can live with that." Sam smiled the slight bruise of lip making Dean feel guilty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Of course, fucking of course." Dean growled angrily.

Sam had led them back to the nest by pure sensory since he had been blindfolded when they took him.

They had arrived to find that Gordon been closer than they thought and had found the nest too. He had killed a couple of vampires before they got there and now he was holding the rest to torture slowly.

Sam the ever optimistic optimist had tried to explain to Gordon about this nest's innocence and Gordon had laughed.

Sam realized then that Gordon had known all along that they weren't killers, not of humans anyway and it didn't make one bit of difference to him. His intent was to kill them anyway. He had weakened them all with dead man's blood and had tried to prove his point that they were all killers regardless of what Sam said.

Gordon had grabbed Sam and cut his arm close to the lead vamp Lenore. The only reason Dean hadn't shot him was because Gordon made sure to use Sam as a shield. Lenore's fangs had come out and Gordon thought he had proved his point until she refused to take the bait.

Sam shoved Gordon away. "You're done."

"Sam, you and Jade get them out of here." Dean said coolly not taking his eyes off of Gordon.

"Dean?"

"Do it, Sam, I'll clean up here."

Sam nodded. He looked at Arandi and she nodded to him. They both knew how this was going to go.

Dean waited until he heard the roar of the Impala leaving before he cracked his neck and set down his gun. "You do know how to fight fair don't you Gordo?"

Gordon shot a dart at Arandi and she stared wide eyed for a second before she crumpled to the ground. "Fair fight right, Deano."

"What did you do to her?" Dean screamed. If he'd had any doubt that he wanted to kick Gordon's ass it was all instantly gone.

"Just a tranquilizer and some dead man's blood."

Dean knew it was going to make her sick and that only made him completely furious.

Gordon apparently didn't know that about Dean. Hurting the people he loved was stupidly dangerous and it wouldn't end well. Gordon really thought having a few years on Dean would be to his advantage. He also thought his knife fighting skill were the best. He was wrong on both counts.

Dean hit like a runaway train when he was pissed and Gordon was seeing stars from just a couple of hits. His attempts to duck or block were way off because Dean was too fast. The couple of shots he was able to get in barely effected the green eyed fury.

"You would have had a better shot if you'd just left her out of it." Dean said in a gravely murderous voice. Gordon saw the elbow coming and was a bit surprised that it felt like a literal sledge hammer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam wasn't sure what he and Jade were going to find when they got back to the old farm house. They had been gone for hours. The vamps safe for the time being.

While he wasn't worried about Dean taking care of himself. He was worried about the lowly worm Gordon was and how dirty he would fight.

They walked in to find Dean sitting back against a wall with Arandi out cold against his chest.

Dean's face had a few bruises but his evident concern for Arandi over shadowed it all.

"What happened?" Jade asked worriedly. She dropped to her knees beside her sister.

"The fucking dick tranqued her."

"You were the one that insisted on a fair fight." Gordon mumbled with his swollen mouth where he was tied up on a chair.

Sam was relieved, sort of. The fact that Dean hadn't killed the man the instant he had harmed Arandi was a miracle in itself.

"We should get out of here." Sam suggested.

"Get her to the car, Sammy." Dean said low.

Sam's stomach lurched. Did he dare leave Dean alone with Gordon? Dean never let anyone carry Arandi. Not even him.

"Dean….."

"My legs are asleep." Dean met his eyes.

While his brother's eyes were a darker green than usual Sam didn't see any mal intent. He leaned down to lift Arandi into his arms, Jade right behind him to open doors.

The instant they were out Dean slid up the wall and shook his legs. He might have been exaggerating just a bit. He walked over to Gordon and looked down on him.

"I really don't know why you're still alive. Trust me anyone harms my wife I tear them to pieces and who would look for you huh? No one. It would be so fucking easy to rid the world of a scum piece of shit like you."

Gordon only glared at him.

"No one gets it more than me how this life can fuck you up twenty nine ways from Sunday. I've seen just about everything. The day I get to be anything like you I'm walking into a desert and not turning back. You killed your own sister. Did you even try to save her first?"

"She was a monster, I did save her." Gordon yelled.

"You're more fucked up than I gave you credit for." Dean sighed tiredly. He knew Sam was watching now.

"You ready, Dean."

Dean knew that Sammy speak for just let him live. He wanted nothing more than to do the opposite. All he thought was how easily Walker could have killed both Sam and Arandi. His gut was screaming that letting Walker live was wrong but….

He punched Gordon hard enough to knock him and chair backwards. "I'm good. Let's go."

They walked out together into the morning daylight. The bruise on Sam's mouth looked a bit more pronounced.

Dean hadn't seen himself yet even though the aches told him he'd be purple and black. "Take a shot, Sammy. I won't even hit you back." He offered. Part of him needed it to feel some kind of evenness. He stood in front of his brother and waited.

Sam scoffed. "Dude, you look like you went twelve rounds with a block of cement. I'll take a raincheck."

The continued walking towards the Impala.

"Sam, how many of our kills might have been like these vamps?"

Sam breathed deep. "I don't think we should think about it. We can't take any of that back but now we know that it's possible for some monsters to control their urges we move forward with that knowledge."

Dean stared at Sam over the top of the car. "You're such a pain in the ass."

Sam chuckled. "Maybe but I'm your pain in the ass."

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Sam got into the car.

Dean looked at Arandi slowly coming around in the back seat with Jade and then looked towards the house. The urge to blow the house with Gordon in it strong. He got in the car and sped away.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	55. DEATH DANCE

Sexual content

DEATH DANCE

They took a couple of days to recuperate. Arandi had slept off most of the dead man's blood effects thanks to the tranquilizer. She was mad at herself for not seeing it coming but no one was perfect as Dean kept reminding her. Although in his book she should be.

Dean pampered her, lavished her with all the attention she could handle to keep her from over thinking things. As if he wasn't guilty of doing the same most of the time.

"Dean…." She breathed it out like life. He was slowly working his tongue in and out of her licking her deliberately slow. "Fuck…" She keened when she went over. Her body convulsing with the impact of the orgasm he had slowly but intensely pulled from her with just his tongue.

"Beautiful." He murmured peppering her thighs and belly with kisses.

"What about you?" She asked sleepily.

He smiled. He laid stretched out beside her. "Remember the first time you touched me?"

"Of course."

"Do that to me. Slow and easy like you're just getting to know what feels good."

She smiled. She rolled on her side and wrapped her hand around his leaking hard cock. "I'll try."

If the back spasms he got from the way his body contorted when he came were any indication, she did way better than that first time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a huge mistake. Dean knew it days later. Letting Gordon live had been a huge fucking mistake that made his gut twist in knots. Everybody that man hurt or killed now was on Dean for letting him live. The stress was getting to him and Sam sometimes was just too Emo for his liking. He tried really hard to hide the antsy turmoil thrumming through him.

He even thought of leaving and heading back to that farmhouse on his own and just getting rid of the scum. Premeditated murder? Why not dabble in that too?

Only Bobby had called and told them to watch their back. Gordon had managed to escape and he was telling everyone what had been done to him and how the Winchesters were going soft. "Good thing nobody likes the idjit or they might actually listen to him." Bobby had said.

He was out there. Probably hunting for them to get payback. Dean wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He'd show Walker who was going soft.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary had called about a zombie problem closer to home.

Dean and Sam both knew that was a hint. Neither wanted to go home but neither of them wanted to hurt their mom.

"Couple of days." They said. After they took care of the zombie of course.

A love sick teen had brought back his best friend that had been killed in a car accident after breaking up with her cheating boyfriend. Of course said teen didn't know that he wasn't bringing back his best friend but a really twisted evil killer version of her.

Neil probably figured it out in the five seconds she took to snap his neck. Day late and a life short.

Dean took pleasure in staking the bitch to her coffin when she tried to kill Sam. He was feeling a bit tense anyway and venting like that was good but it wouldn't last.

Especially when watching Angela revert back to just a body in a coffin, it hit him clear out of the blue. He should be dead. He shouldn't be killing zombies or worried about a deranged hunter. Dean had been meant to die but here he was and he still didn't know why. He twisted the stake in anger until he realized that Sam was looking down on him.

"Just making sure she stays dead. What's dead should stay dead."

Sam only nodded holding his injured hand to his chest. Dean would usually rag on him for letting a girl get the best of him monster or not but when he didn't Sam knew to leave his brother alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were in the car heading home. None of them really looking forward to it. Dean's mood hadn't lifted much and the closer they got to home the more he scowled and squirmed.

Arandi tried more than once to talk to him but she would back off the second she looked into his eyes. She really didn't like dealing with the darker version of Dean when he made his appearance.

Dean realized that everyone was unusually quiet. He glanced around as he drove. He knew he had been in less than a cheerful mood he sure didn't mean to bring everyone else down.

"Fuck." He growled and pulled the car onto the shoulder with a jerk. He slammed it into park, cut the engine, and jumped from the Impala. He headed to the hood where he sat near the center.

He heard the creak of the doors as everyone else got out and he took a deep stuttered breath. The turmoil inside of him threatening to spill like a volcano.

"Dean?" Sam came to his side quietly.

"I'm sorry." Dean sputtered. He looked at everyone. "I've been trying so hard to push this crap that's eating me aside. None of you deserve my issues."

"We're here for you." Arandi said taking his hand gently.

"I know." He managed, the tears burning. "I shouldn't be here."

"Dean, what are you talking about?" Sam pressed.

"Come on, Sammy, you can't tell me that you haven't thought about it. I was dead, everyone was told to expect the worst but suddenly the colt is gone and I'm a miracle. Someone did that, someone is going to die because of me because you know as well as I do that deal's aren't made without a one way trip to hell."

"You seem to forget that you've been snatched from death's grip more than once."

"This isn't the same. I feel it down to the core. It's bad and I can't fucking do anything about it." Dean spit out and brushed the tears away angrily. "You know it, Sam, if it wasn't you or Arandi….."

Sam's face fell. "Mom?" He barely whispered. "But she was in the chapel."

"Actually she came into the chapel by the door that the clergy is supposed to use." Arandi pointed out. "Then she told me that she would come back later so that I could say my prayers privately."

"The clergy door led where?" Dean asked.

Arandi looked at him and swallowed. "Outside."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They stayed in a motel about a hundred miles from their home. Dean needed some time to pull himself together. Glue the mask in place and face his mother without going ballistic.

It was hard for them to accept but not to believe. Mary loved her boys more than anything and she had made that clear many times. Even telling John to never expect her to choose him over her children.

In their room alone Dean nearly slammed Arandi into the wall and kissed her almost violently. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He panted into her lips. "I just need to feel….feel you….feel this….anything else, please."

Arandi understood. She'd had more than one moment like that in her time. She spun them around and shoved Dean into the wall. He grunted and his breathing picked up hard.

She ripped his shirts off and tossed them aside.

Dean was trembling, his head thrown back with his mouth open. "Yes, oh fuck, yes."

Arandi had always aced in distraction.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat up slowly. The sun was already up and he bit his lip thinking about every little thing Arandi had done to him. He ached everywhere but it was the best kind of ache. That ache that sparked memories of how they got there and made him want to relive it again and again.

She had wiped every thought of angst out of him and fuck she was awesome.

He stared down at her, totally debauched and gorgeous as she laid on her stomach slight smile in her sleep.

He was rock hard just like that. He pulled the sheet off her still naked body slowly and kissed his way up her back. He nibbled on neck until she moaned and pushed up against him.

He lifted up and straddled her thighs pushing into her.

Her sweet groan of satisfaction urged him on and he thrust hard and deep into her. A few more aches would do them some good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam smiled. Dean looked way better as they ate breakfast at a roadside diner.

He had Arandi glued to his side and he kissed her every few minutes and even fed her some of his pancakes.

They were both smiling and Sam loved to see Dean smile. He was always a handsome man but damn when he broke out that smile.

Dean finally caught him staring and he blushed slightly. "Too much PDA?"

Jade giggled. "You PDA your heart out, honey. At least you know how to do such things."

Sam knew he was bright red. It wasn't as if he and Jade hadn't had a hot night too. They wanted to get what they could in before they abstained while home. Somehow sex in their parent's home once they were grown up wasn't as much fun as when they had to sneak around before they got married.

"What so I can get accused of copying my brother? Besides some PDA can get you arrested." He smiled wide at Jade and this time she blushed.

"You sly dog." Dean chuckled. "Alright let's finish up so we can get home over." He looked Sam in the eye. He could do this just a couple of days. Just a couple of days.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean hugged Mary hard enough to make her grunt. He let go sheepishly. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

Sam covered for him by lifting his squealing mom off her feet.

Dean had been hoping to get the moms out of the house and take them out to dinner but he could smell the roast and his mouth watered. He had taken his sweet time driving the last hundred miles. He even stopped so they could shop for gifts. Anything to postpone the inevitable.

He met Sam's eyes. It looked like they were having dinner with the folks.

Arandi wasn't afraid of much and it really wasn't fear as much as it was repulsion. She hadn't wanted to downplay Dean's emotional state by tossing in her own so she had kept quiet. Now that she stood in the Winchester home with John nearby she was stiff with nerves. Her own parents were there so that was a relief.

She didn't realize she was nearly in Dean's back pocket until he turned to look at her. She wanted to kick herself when she saw the flicker of realization in his eyes.

He took her hand. "Forgot something in the car, be right back." He said and pulled her outside. "I was so busy fretting over my mom and crap that I forgot how hard this has to be for you too. Fuck, I'm sorry."

Arandi swallowed and looked nervously around her. Suddenly the place that had been home her entire life just seem daunting. She didn't even know how to respond.

Dean pulled her into a hug. "It's going to be ok. Face your fears right?"

Arandi nodded. "I'm not afraid. I just haven't faced him since…..my skins already crawling."

"I pretty sure he knows that. Probably why he wasn't meeting us at the door with everyone else."

She nodded again. "Let's just get this done."

They headed back in the house and Dean made a show of how Sam hadn't told him that he had the gifts that they had picked up for their mom on him.

Arandi was still glued to Dean but she just couldn't help it.

"Dinner is just about ready. Why don't you guys go up to your rooms and put your things up while Beth and I finish up. Everyone can stay here tonight. Then we'll switch up tomorrow."

Even she knew that they wouldn't stay long. They turned towards the stairs and just stopped.

Dean felt Arandi grab onto his arm tightly and the slight tremble that was there. He felt the instant need to recite an exorcism with John standing by the door to their game room looking like he was just as nervous.

"Hey, dad." Dean pushed out and tried to smile. He was sure it was the fakest smile he had ever forced out.

"Hey, guys welcome home."

"Thanks." Sam blurted a little too loudly.

The awkwardness that followed was finally broken by Bobby and Ellen who thankfully arrived at that very moment for dinner along with Johnny, Jo, and Kelly.

Arandi finally had something else to focus on when she saw how big her niece was getting and how she was missing it all for being on the road. "Look at you. Are you in college yet?"

"Auntie Ari." Kelly squealed in delight and jumped into waiting arms.

"I want part of that." Jade demanded playfully.

"Share me!" Kelly squealed higher.

Dean and Sam smiled genuinely. Their wives deserved that joy. To hold children of their own but they both knew until Azazel was gone they couldn't risk the danger that their children would be in for who their parents and grandparents were.

"Share me!" Kelly demanded arms extended up to Dean.

"I don't know squeaker, I might just keep you all to myself." He grabbed her in his arms and ran up the stairs. Kelly screaming with delight as her aunts and uncle and mommy and daddy followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly was a ball of energy that just kept going and going till she literally dropped. She had been a great distraction to all the nerves and angst in the house.

Jo set her down for a nap while they all finished up dinner and sat around the table talking about anything and everything.

John sat quietly just listening and smiling.

Mary was glad to have everyone there even with the tension that they all tried to pretend wasn't there. She wondered if they even knew that they would take uncertain glances at John, like they were expecting his eyes to turn yellow at any moment.

She didn't blame them. It had taken her weeks to settle back to any form of comfort with her husband after that nightmare. She had spent some nights at the Remington home just so that she could sleep.

She wanted everything back to normal but Azazel had ripped all normality from them. She felt the lump in her throat and she jumped up quickly. "I made pie." She announced and rushed into the kitchen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean looked around his old room. It was pretty much exactly the way it was when he left it for good.

His mom broke it to them at dinner that they had rented out the apartment to a couple of hunters that needed a place to live after a really bad hunt.

They were good hunters trained by John and Jonathan. They had just didn't have anywhere to go until they were back on their feet and if Dean knew Mary and Beth, they hungered for someone to nurse with their kids gone. Though completely grown and married they felt like teens again around their moms.

All of their stuff had been stored in their old rooms so that Sebastian and Richard could have their own things.

Dean and Sam had met them when they all went to check out the tree house. It seemed so much smaller now. They were good guys and were absolutely thrilled to meet the Winchester boys and the Remington sisters. Apparently they were famous in the hunter world.

They were speechless. They really didn't think they had done anything that any other hunters hadn't done too.

They had drank on the patio and traded stories late into the night.

Now Dean roamed his room alone the next morning. Arandi and Jade had gone shopping with their mom. He stared at the pictures on his wall.

Almost all of them were from high school and younger. Those years seemed so far away. He stopped in front of one where he was holding Sam in his arms. His little brother was probably just a few months at the time, Mary was hovering behind them like a guardian angel with a beautiful smile.

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat. He ran his fingertips over the picture and he just wanted to break things. His mom…..

"Dean, baby, what's the matter?" Mary asked from the doorway.

Every denial was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't put that mask in place, he couldn't, this was his mom and she didn't deserve to die for him.

"Why?" He pushed out as he turned to face her, his eyes brimming with tears. "I know you love me and Sam, mom, but this is…how am I supposed to face you dying for me?"

"Dean…" Mary sighed softly. "I didn't become a mom to have my children die before me not if I could stop it."

"Mom…."

"Let me finish, please. I love you, Dean, I love your brother and I would gladly give my life for you time and time again and I would have but it wasn't me, baby." Mary stressed as she walked up to Dean and grabbed his face in her hands and brushed away his tears with her thumbs. "I wouldn't lie to you about that."

"Who then?"

Mary sighed loudly her own eyes bright but she didn't answer.

Dean was confused and then he knew.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean found Sam. He couldn't hide his emotion and Sam knew the instant he saw his brother's face. They had a knack for reading each other without words.

Dean felt like a spinning top about to be released on full speed. His mom was behind him.

"Dean, what are you going to do?" She asked.

"What am I supposed to do? My entire life I felt like a soldier in boot camp and this…..I can't…I don't know….." He punched a hole through the hallway wall making Mary startle.

Arandi and Jade came up the stairs having arrived to hearing all the commotion.

Arandi took one look at Dean and knew he was on the verge of blowing. "Dean, calm down, baby."

"Arandi, it wasn't my mom." He breathed and had his hand in a fist ready to make another hole he would have to patch later but Arandi took his hand gently.

"It wasn't your mom?"

"No…fuck….."

"Then who?"

"It was me." John said from the end of the hall.

Not one of them expected Dean to charge his father. He was there before any of them could react punching John hard enough for him to feel light headed as he fell against a wall.

"How could you?" Dean screamed at his father while Sam held him back before his brother volleyed there dad with hits. "How could you do this to mom? How could you?"

"I did it for your mom. I couldn't let you die, Dean, I should have been able to fight that possession but I couldn't live with myself if you died by my hands. I love you, son. I know I've never said it enough. I know that I made you grow up too fast but you have to know that I did that because I was terrified of losing you and your brother. You were dead, my little boy was dead and I was going to die anyway." John sobbed as he straightened himself up.

Dean stared at his father as if he was a complete stranger. He felt the tears running down his face and his gut burning. Two picture frames crashed to the floor glass shattering.

Everyone was silent. Dean had no idea what to say. He knew his father loved him but hearing it and being shown like this was emotional overload. He looked at Sam whose own eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

His mom was leaning back against the wall crying softly with Jade trying to comfort her.

Arandi was completely still staring at her father in law as if he had grown an extra couple of heads. Dean was alive because of him. He had finally stepped up to prove that his children truly meant more to him that just trained soldiers of the hunt. He had given up the only thing that they had to kill Azazel so that Dean could live.

She breathed in and all the anger and repulsion slipped away. She moved forward and hugged John hard. She had the love of her life alive and that was above everything else.

John sobbed louder. His emotions breaking through like they hadn't in a long time.

Dean stared at the sight before him. His dad had made the ultimate sacrifice. He moved forward too and wrapped his arms around both his wife and dad.

"I don't know how but we're getting you out of this." He promised.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They sat around the patio drinking again just the family and listened to the terms of John's deal.

Dean lost it a bit over again when his dad confessed that he had dealt directly with Azazel and given him the colt on the condition that Dean lived and he backed off from the rest of them.

"He told me that he could bring you back with some help that he would leave most of us alone but Sam was all based on the choices he made."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sam balked.

John met his eyes. "He's pretty adamant that you are going to go dark."

Sam scoffed. "As if."

Dean blinked. He heard the voice in his head telling him that he might have to kill his brother.

He stood up and cracked his neck. He stared out into the darkness of the yard that had been his home forever.

Sam wouldn't go dark. His brother had the biggest kindest heart he knew and…

"A walk in the dark is like a walk in the park." He heard clear as day. A voice he didn't recognize. He turned to see who had said it but everyone was talking amongst themselves.

He set down the half glass of whiskey that he had been nursing. "Sam?"

Sam looked towards him and then stood up when he saw the look on his brother's face. "Dean?"

The air stilled and the night buzzed. The brothers stared at each other.

Sam saw flashes of light. His mind filled with images of man walking down the street a clock showed Sam that it was lunchtime. The man stopped to answer his ringing phone. He listened intently his face changed slightly and he crossed the street. Sam saw a bus and the logo on it burned into his brain.

The man walked into a gun store and headed to the counter. He acknowledged the man behind it by name and the man responded in kind.

He asked to see a shotgun and then he loaded it even as the man behind the counter told him he couldn't. He shot the man and then calmly shot himself.

Sam fell back on his ass with the more than vivid spray of blood and the buzzing got louder and then stopped.

Everyone now stood looking shocked and worried. Sam blinked hard and looked towards Dean.

He gasped. Just how many shocks could he take in one night?

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	56. DON'T MIND ME

I never did like how easily Dean's mind was controlled in Simon Said. So I did it my way.

DON'T MIND ME

All eyes had turned to where Dean had been standing. Only he was no longer there. Sam stared opened mouth to where Dean now stood at least that was what Sam made himself believe because in the first moments that he looked at his brother he seemed to just be hovering.

There just wasn't a logical explanation to how Dean had moved to that position so quickly in the time that Sam had had his vision and made it to the tree house.

Not unless…

Sam shook his head. "How long was I out of it?"

"Less than a minute." Jade answered.

Sam had to make sure. Jonathan helped him to his feet. "Dean?"

His brother turned to look at him but he wasn't focused at all as if he was caught up in some state. His eyes even from a distance seemed to glow.

"Dean be careful." Arandi fretted and moved closer to the tree. She hadn't seen Dean move either. She had stared at him when Sam had frozen and had barely looked away him for the couple of seconds that Sam fell on his ass. When she looked back towards her husband he was already on the landing of the tree house.

It was impossible to climb up that tree that fast even for them and they were fast. She had no idea how he had done it not to mention the fact that it would have taken him at least another half a minute to get from the patio to the tree in a dead run.

Right at the moment though her main concern was Dean falling and getting hurt. He was agile more than she realized apparently but he could still get hurt.

"Dean, you need to snap out of it, kiddo." John stepped up closer.

Dean eyes locked on him he seemed to be speaking but he wasn't loud enough to hear.

Everyone just froze as Dean threw himself from where he stood.

Everything was quiet. Arandi was pretty sure everyone was pinching themselves to make sure they weren't dreaming. Dean stood directly in front of his dad as he lifted from the crouch he had landed in.

"Pater illius gnati uiolasse semper." He said in Latin.

Most of them only knew the Latin involved in exorcisms. Sam and Arandi were the only ones that understood more.

"Father of the son of ever." They both said at the same time.

Dean's body convulsed as if being struck by lightning and he gasped loud, his eyes widened. Blood ran from his nose. "What the…" He managed before his eyes rolled and he fell into John's arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't remember." Dean groused. His head was pounding and it had taken half an hour to get his nose to stop bleeding. "I remember hearing the buzzing and I knew, I knew that Sam was going to have a vision. I saw some of it too but then it all just stopped."

Arandi had patiently told him everything that had happened. He wished he could remember so that he could always be that fast and that agile.

"Father of the son of ever? What the hell does that even mean?"

"Bobby is researching it for us. He's pretty sure he's heard the phrase before in some ancient prophecy." Sam responded.

"We need to get going."

"You need to rest." Mary lectured.

"Mom, I would love to do just that but Sam's vision is going to happen. Ash helped him figure out where by the logo on the bus and we need to get there and try to save those lives."

Mary sighed in defeat. "I know. Just please be careful. Things are just more mysterious and confusing by the day."

Dean kissed his mom's forehead as he hugged her. "Careful is my cousin's aunt's grandmother's dad's middle name." He teased.

Mary swatted him lovingly before turning to Sam. They said their goodbyes. She had known she wasn't getting much time with her boys but this was ridiculous.

Dean didn't argue when Arandi got behind the wheel. He wished they could have at least spent the night but lives were on the line.

He huffed. "The story of my entire existence."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke up stiff and found that it was daylight. He hadn't planned on sleeping that long.

"Sorry." He yawned to Arandi.

"No problem you needed to rest." She smiled.

"Where are we?"

"We're almost there with a couple of hours to spare."

"Dr. Jennings." Sam said from the back seat.

"What?"

"The man that's going to kill the gun store owner and himself."

"I remembered that somehow."

"Good well that helps and since you did see the street name and the name of the store we should be able to save them."

"Let's hope it's that easy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi walked on one side of the street while Sam and Jade walked the other. They scanned the crowd as people headed to lunch.

Dean had seen the man for a brief moment in his own head so he knew who to look for.

They were quickly running out of time.

Dean saw Dr. Jennings at the same time that Sam did from the other side. He stopped to talk to a young man and they laughed about something and then shook hands and walked on. Dean and Sam looked at the time and Dr. Jennings stopped again to answer his phone.

Dean took his a burner phone from his pocket and called a threat to the gun store then tossed the phone in the nearest trash.

Dr. Jennings moved towards the gun store but stopped confused when the closed sign was flipped on the door.

Dean sighed in relief and they started to run towards him but he didn't stay still he turned as if to go back the way he had been coming.

Sam and Jade ran across to be on the same side.

Dean and Sam called to him at the same time. He stopped but didn't look towards either of them. He looked confused and neither Winchester brother had to have a vision to know what was coming next.

They would never reach him in time with all the people in the way but they tried regardless.

They both stopped in horror as Dr. Jennings stepped off the curb directly into the path of the very bus that Sam had seen in his vision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat on the curb frustrated. Although they had saved the gun store owner they had failed to save Dr. Jennings. He was sure that it had to do with the phone call.

Dean crouched close to Sam rubbing his back reassuringly even though he felt out of sorts himself.

Something big was going on and he was sure more lives were at stake. "What's our next move?"

"I'm going to go talk to Dr. Jennings coworkers and see if they sensed anything off about him. You see if you can trace who called him."

Dean nodded and stood up. "Let's go get some rooms and change."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It was a call from the sandwich shop where he was supposed to pick up his sandwich." Dean said on the phone to Sam.

"I didn't get jack. Everyone said that Jennings was acting normal when he left for lunch."

"What then?"

Sam nibbled on his cuticle while he thought, running everything through his head. "That guy he stopped to talk to, he walked in front of the bus right after that and the phone call."

"I'll see if I can get him identified on some security camera." Dean offered and hung up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"His name is Andy Gallagher." Dean told Sam once they met up at the motel.

"And…?"

"That's it, dude, the guy is squeaky clean and hasn't had a job for months but somehow is able to pay bills and eat. He was arrested once for possession and it was dropped because the arresting officers suddenly confessed to having the wrong guy."

"That sounds fishy."

"I know. Arandi went to talk to his last employer and get this." He motioned for her to tell the tale.

"Just happens to be the sandwich shop where Dr. Jennings was heading and Andy had lunch there. Tracy the lady that runs the place had nothing but good things to say about him but that one day he quit and he was just happy as could be without a job and somehow he managed to survive. One of his male coworkers. I think his name is Weber spoke about him like he had a crush on him. Whoever this Andy Gallagher is he is well liked."

"How many times have neighbors, friends, and family said about a killer that he was a nice guy and they were so shocked about what they had done?"

"Sammy, you haven't even met the guy and you're already got him condemned."

"Mad because I beat you to it? If I recall, you had O.J. in prison before he even got into the bronco."

"He was guilty wasn't he?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Did you get an address?"

Arandi looked at her notepad. "Yeah, Orchard Street and he drives a van with a painting of a barbarian queen on a polar bear."

"Awesome." Dean and Sam said in unison but with entirely two different meanings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The van stood out like a beacon in a rather nice area of town.

Sam wrinkled his nose but Dean was excited to see the one of a kind.

Arandi shook her head.

"The queen looks like you." Dean smiled at Arandi.

"So not a compliment." She huffed.

Dean's shrugged and looked around then quickly pulled out a tire iron and popped the back doors open.

The four of them stood and just stared for a moment. Wonky porno music played and there was disco ball spinning over an evident bed where Andy apparently slept. A stack of books grabbed Sam's attention while Dean grinned when he picked up the biggest bong he'd ever seen.

"Is Andy living out of his van?" Jade asked. "This is pretty heavy reading for a guy with no job and a stoner."

"I haven't even read some of this." Sam said a bit impressed.

Dean was still messing with the bong.

Arandi gently pulled it from his hands and shook her head.

"What? Don't act like you weren't there with me."

"It was a joint the size of bobby pin not that thing." Arandi defended.

"Moby Dick's bong" Dean grinned and wagged his brows.

"Hey! Hey, what the hell?" Andy appeared from an apartment and ran towards them.

They stayed in place.

"We had a report of illegal activities." Sam covered and pulled a badge.

Andy didn't show any worry. He smiled. "Just forget what you saw and go back to where you belong."

Dean and Sam exchanged glances and watched a bit perplexed as Arandi and Jade walked away.

Andy's smile faltered slightly and he repeated himself.

"Doesn't work on us." Sam growled.

"What doesn't work?" Andy asked stupidly.

"Apparently you have some sort of ability to control minds. Which explains an awful lot." Sam continued.

"You're nuts." Andy scoffed and moved to get in the driver seat of his van but Dean grabbed his arm.

"Really then explain that." Dean scowled in Andy's face and pointed to Arandi and Jade.

Andy reddened. "They obey really well?"

"Get them back to normal or so help me." Dean practically dragged Andy to the women.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dr. Jennings is dead." Andy asked sadly. They had gone to the motel.

Sam's idea of Andy being a stone cold killer flew out the window. He couldn't fake that well. Nobody could.

"How did you know him?" Arandi asked.

"I'm adopted. He was part of that process. We stayed in touch."

"He was being controlled when he walked in front of that bus, Andy." Sam accused anyway.

Andy blanched. "I would never hurt anyone like that. I mean I've made bad guys turn themselves into the police and once I made a guy abusing his kids sit on an ant hill but I'm no killer."

"You can control minds just like that?" Dean asked.

"Every person I've met in the last few years. You two have been the first I couldn't."

"But you live out of your van?"

"I have everything I need." Andy smiled with confidence. "I can do whatever I want and enjoy my life without all the bells and whistles."

For the first time Sam felt guilty for thinking of Andy as a killer. Here was this man who could easily use his abilities to get money and influence all types of big shots but he was still humble in a way. He was about to say as much when the buzzing filled the room.

He looked at Dean.

Dean looked back and although he could hear the buzzing he didn't feel the current this time but he knew that Sam was about to have a vision.

Sam grabbed his head. Andy stared wide eyed.

Sam saw a women pumping gas. She answered her ringing phone. Then proceeded to douse herself in gas and set herself on fire with the car lighter while people looked on in horror.

Sam gasped and if he hadn't already been sitting he would have fallen on his ass. Dean grabbed his face to make sure that he was alright.

Jade grabbed a bottle of water for him.

Andy sat open mouthed. "What the holy crap was that?"

"You saw that?" Sam asked.

Andy nodded slowly.

"Maybe that's why it didn't effect Dean this time?" Arandi pointed out.

"Someone told her to do that didn't they?" Andy whispered.

Sam nodded. "Someone just like you."

Andy got up and ran to the bathroom and threw up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi rushed out to find the gas station that Andy had instantly recognized since he was from that town.

They arrived though to fire trucks and police cars everywhere.

"This had to have been happening just minutes after Sam saw it." Dean grumbled. "There wasn't even a chance to save her."

"Who is she is what we have to find out now." Arandi winked at her husband and sauntered over to the police with her badge.

Dean shook his head and smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The hunters calmly explained to Andy what they did and what had brought them to him.

"So you have powers too but you have visions and you…." He looked at Dean.

Dean shrugged. "Haven't quite figured that out yet."

"This should be cool. Like superheroes but when you can't save people it's kind of lousy." Andy frowned. "You guys do this all the time, even without the powers. That is all kinds of cool."

"Not when you live that life twenty-four seven three sixty five." Dean sighed.

"Andy, did something else happen when you realized that you could do these things?" Everyone knew what Sam was getting at.

Andy looked around unsure. "There was this man. He kept trying to convince me that I was special. I wanted to know how he knew and…."

"It's ok, man, nothing you say is going to shock us." Dean offered gently. Although he was pretty certain that he knew the answer already.

"He had yellow eyes." Barely above a whisper.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi had finished her research and frowned. She turned to Dean and shook her head slightly.

"He's heard it all. I doubt anything else will shock him." Dean shook his head in disgust. He really hated crashing people's lives around them.

"The woman's name was Holly Beckett."

"I don't know her." Andy sighed in relief. Not that it was any less tragic. Which quickly went away when Arandi's serious face didn't change.

"I'm really sorry, Andy, but she was your biological mother." Arandi finished.

"She lived in the same town as me? How would anyone else know?" Andy felt devastated.

"You said that Dr. Jennings was involved in your adoption. Do you think he knew who she was?"

Andy shook his head. "I don't know. I asked him once if I should look for her and all he said was that I might find out somethings I wasn't ready for."

"Records like that are sealed tight." Jade pointed out.

Andy stood up. "Screw that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Andy easily bent minds to lead him to the records that they needed. He made sure that videos would be altered and no one would remember any of them.

He took the records with him pretty sure that if they were ever missed it wouldn't be for a long time.

Back at the motel he handed the papers to Sam. He wasn't sure that he would be able to get through all the reading. He was still feeling rather empty.

Sam scanned the pages. "She was your mother." He said gently.

"Crap." Andy blew out. He wasn't sure what he had been hoping to hear. "So how does that help us find out who killed her and Dr. Jennings?"

"It helps." Sam said as he kept reading. "You have a twin brother."

"What? I have an evil twin!" Andy dropped his head into his open hands. "Great. Just great. I need to get high." He stood up and paced. "Why would he kill them though? Who the hell is he?"

"His name is Anson Weems and he's got a local address."

"He lives here in the same town too?"

"Let me see if I can find a picture of him at DMV." Arandi said and turned back to her laptop. She had a picture in minutes. "Holy crap. It's the guy from the sandwich shop. The one who talked about you like he was in love with you."

Andy rushed to look over her shoulder. "Weber? That dude always creeped me out. He always wanted to hang out. He was my brother and he knew. He had to have known right?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense." Dean deducted. "If you have powers that your twin would have them too."

"Of course it makes sense. Like I said evil twin." Andy spat out. "Oh man, what about Tracy? I went out with her and he didn't like it all. He kept telling me she wasn't good for me. He was happier than anyone when I left the shop. He still tried to hang out but since I didn't have a place to live he couldn't really keep track of me."

As if on cue, Sam heard the buzzing and his mind instantly filled with images. Weber and Tracy on a bridge and Weber forced her to jump to her death. It was over just like that.

Andy stared at Sam wide eyed. "I just thought about it not hurting you and it stopped."

"Which means you're more powerful than you realize."

"Which means that he is too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was nearly a war but Arandi finally caved. Dean refused to let her go or Jade. "If he gets into your mind he could hurt you or kill you or try to get you to hurt someone else. You can be pissed at me all you want I won't risk it."

Arandi didn't respond. She only went into the bathroom and slammed the door. Jade sat with her back to everyone on one of the beds.

Suddenly she laid down and instantly started snoring softly.

Dean and Sam looked at Andy.

He shrugged. "You know they would follow you right?"

"Can you make them forget too?" Sam grinned sheepishly. He covered his wife while Dean carried Arandi out of the bathroom and laid her next to her sister.

"Arandi will remember. Somehow she will fucking." Dean groaned. "And she won't ever let me forget it either."

Andy chuckled.

"You did all that without saying anything."

Andy nodded. "I didn't know that I could."

"You never said what yellow eyes said to you." Dean prodded.

"He said that I was stronger than I would ever know but still so weak because I didn't have what it took."

"See, Sammy, he can't force you to be evil." Dean said encouragingly as he began toward the door.

"No, he just forces us to kill."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As it turned out Weber was pretty damn strong. It scared Andy to believe that he could be that powerful as well.

Tracy was terrified. Andy managed to pull her out of Weber's control but to do that he had to control her himself. He knew things would never be the same between them.

Weber went on and on about how everyone had kept them apart when they should have always been together. They were brothers with these amazing powers and they could rule the world.

Andy was still new to the controlling with just the mind. Weber had more experience and he took back control of Tracy making her knock Sam out with a large stick.

Andy was shaking. It was all too much for him. He didn't like hurting people but he knew he had to do something. Especially when Weber proved how strong he was by taking control of Dean.

Dean had been up on the hill with a sniper rifle ready to take out Weber.

Weber had sensed him and took control. He made Dean walk down the hill.

Weber was thrilled with the power. Andy had no idea how he could control Dean when he had not been unable too.

Sam was coming around and Weber made Dean stop. Andy knew what was coming and he was so scared. Weber couldn't control Sam so he was going to have Dean take him out.

Dean raised the rifle and aimed it at Sam's head. Sam stared at his brother his heart hammering like mad but then Dean got his trademark smirk and winked at him.

Sam almost laughed out loud in relief but before Dean could turn the tables on Weber. A shot rang out.

Weber's eyes widened for just a second before he fell to the ground dead. Andy stood behind him trembling with the smoking gun in his hands.

Weber had been so focused on how powerful he was he had left the gun he had in the car.

It was over just like that. Andy had killed and somewhere Azazel was probably laughing his black heart out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Andy was able to make the police and paramedics believe that Weber had shot himself. He made Tracy remember that too and he just didn't have in him to make her forget what he had done because he knew and he would always know.

He went back to the motel with Dean and Sam. Arandi and Jade were still sleeping.

"Andy, you saved lives just think of like that." Dean encouraged.

"I killed my brother."

"Your brother was beyond help. He had killed and was going to kill all of us. He was dark, Andy, you did the right thing."

Dean's chest constricted. Now he knew for sure that Azazel was laughing in their face. Could he kill Sam that easily?

"Dean, you ok?" Andy asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just need to eat a little something."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean dreamt the entire situation on the bridge. It was so vivid and he felt and heard everything.

He felt the tug of power that pulled at him when Weber had tried to take control and that was how he had been able to fool him. He had felt the shifts and had almost heard the commands in his mind.

The scene shifted and it was just him and his brother.

Sam was looking at him with a smirk. His eyes dark. "Do it, brother. Kill me because if you don't I'm going to kill everything that matters to you."

"Sammy…." Dean trembled the rifle aimed at his little brother. "I'm sorry." The roar of the gun barely covered his screams.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	57. THE OPEN DOOR DOESN'T MEAN AN EXIT

THE OPEN DOOR DOESN'T MEAN AN EXIT

If Arandi had wanted to stay mad at Dean she couldn't, not when she woke to one of his screaming nightmares.

The ones that didn't let him go right away when she tried to wake him up. The ones that left him shaking. The ones that left the haunted look in his eyes.

He sat on the bed breathing hard. His entire body trembling.

Arandi got up and grabbed him a bottle of water even though she was sure that he preferred something much stronger.

He drank the entire bottle down and slowly calmed. She didn't say anything just let him bring himself back to normal.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

She wasn't sure if he meant for the Andy situation or for waking her up or knowing Dean just because. "You gonna tell me what happened out there?" She asked as she sat beside him.

Dean dropped his head into this hands and breathed for a bit. He lifted his head and looked at her and told her everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Andy had slept in his van outside the motel after Dean had taught him about wards and sigils. Andy was a fast learner and loved to read so now he had a whole new subject to delve into.

He joined them for breakfast and he apologized to Arandi and Jade who had just decided being mad wouldn't change a damn thing. They in turn told him that they were sorry for what he had to endure.

"I can't stay here this place has too much bad memories now but I have no idea where to go." Andy lamented.

"Just wherever you end up man stay good." Dean warned. "I wish that I could say that it was over but it's far from that."

Andy sighed. "I know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

After trading information so they could keep in touch if anything else happened, Andy drove away.

He had settled on just driving and seeing the states until he found a place that made him feel right again.

"If you can find a place like that don't ever let it go." Sam had said seriously.

The hunters had hit the road soon after off to find their next hunt before thinking too much made them lose it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean headed out of the hotel they had picked because Arandi wanted to lay out by a pool. He didn't often wear shorts but it was a beautiful day and a nice cool swim would probably do him some good.

He came around into the gated pool area and was a bit surprised to see so many people by the pool most of them men and then he saw why.

Arandi was wearing a two piece blue bikini that barely kept her assets covered. Apparently he had done something to piss her off.

"It was the waitress wasn't it?" He asked as he gave a death glare to those still gawking.

"You're standing in my sun." She replied.

"It was her birthday, I was just being nice."

"You were openly flirting."

"I was not."

"You're seriously going to deny it?"

"I'm not denying being nice to her."

"Is this douche bothering you?" A muscle bound brunette man asked Arandi.

"He's my husband." She said loudly.

The man deflated quickly from Arandi's words and Dean's intimidating death glare.

"Move along Popeye go get that spinach." Dean taunted.

Arandi laughed. She couldn't help it.

The man started to walk away but not before they both heard. "Slut."

Arandi cringed and reached for Dean but he was already moving.

"Dude, I know you weren't talking about my wife."

"If the bikini don't fit."

"Yet you were all for defending her honor when you thought you could hit it huh?" Dean moved closer.

"Step off before you get hurt."

"Hurt me, dumb fuck, I fucking dare you." Dean growled.

The man didn't move unsure how to proceed. Although he had Dean in muscle mass Dean had him by a good three inches in height. He threw the best punch he could figuring he could at least save face.

Only Dean caught the punch in his hand and held him in place.

The man panicked slightly. Dean was unbelievably strong, way stronger than he looked.

Dean grinned wickedly. "Don't fuck with me or my wife." He murmured and then head butted the man solidly.

Dean barely flinched while the man fell back dazed.

Arandi sauntered by and grabbed Dean's hand and kept going. Her phone in her hand she had dialed Jade. "Pack up ASAP. Guy called me a slut."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'll find another hotel with a pool." Dean blurted after miles of silence. "Didn't even get to swim."

Arandi wasn't sure if he meant her or him. Her phone rang before she could answer him. She saw Jo's name on her caller ID. "Hey, Jo, everything alright?"

"I stumbled on a hunt and I thought you guys could take care of it. It seems women have been disappearing from this apartment building. Last hunter there found ectoplasm but he didn't know any women hunters. Not any he'd put on the line anyway."

Arandi sighed. "He's only thinking of Kelly. He's always been protective of us."

Jo sighed too. "I know but I miss the hunt sometimes. He goes on the occasional hunt. Why can't I?"

"Most women would kill for that kind of attention."

Jo sighed louder. "Sure take your brother's side. Your husband lets you hunt."

"I don't have kids that need me."

"I didn't mean…"

"I know. E-mail me the details and we'll look into it."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm just going to send you that e-mail."

They hung up and Arandi stared out the window.

Dean cleared his throat. "Do I keep going or bust a U?"

"Just take the first exit in about thirty miles. Find me a Wi-Fi hotspot too."

"Yes, ma'am."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned back against a pile of pillows with Arandi curled up against his chest. She was asleep only because he had made her take the good stuff.

She started to mumble and tremble. He murmured to her quietly and gently ran his fingers through her hair to comfort her until she settled again.

It had been a rough hunt with an unexpected twist. After securing an apartment like newlyweds their research had led them to discover that the building had been built on land where the occupants of a prison were executed.

They knew they had an angry spirit on their hands. A little more digging gave them a real surprise. They were dealing with the ghost H. H. Holmes, the first ever documented serial killer.

It was bad enough that he was an angry spirit but also a sadistic killer in life made him ten times worse.

They lost hope that they would find any of the missing women alive. Still they had to do away with such an evil spirit. They just had to figure out how.

Sam's research had turned up the fact that there were hidden chambers throughout the building. They all started searching there which quickly backfired when Jade disappeared.

Sam was ready to tear the rest of the building apart and Arandi was dangerous enough without her sister being in danger.

Dean followed her everywhere because he knew she was going to do something crazy to save her sister and as much as he wanted to argue the point he couldn't. He would be doing the same thing and worse if it was Sam.

Holmes loved to kill women and as much as Dean hated it. Arandi was the only way to get to him.

Dean took a sledgehammer to the walls when Arandi disappeared even though he and Sam had been a room away.

Sam had to calm him down before they were dragged away by the police. He went through every blueprint he could get his hands on until he figured out that there was an old sewer system under the foundation of the building.

They had to figure out what else to do because Holmes body had been sealed inside cement. There was no way to salt and burn his body.

"Let's go." Dean commanded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi's head felt as if she had a couple of dozen hangovers going on at the same time. She blinked and grabbed for her flashlight in her jeans. She was inside a compartment like being buried but she could see out of slit on the side.

There was a round chamber with many other compartments. The smell of decay filtered towards her and she noticed the nail shaped gouges all around her.

She swallowed hard. How many had met their fate here?

She heard a noise and she listened. A prayer in her mind looped over and over. "Jade?"

"Arandi!" Jade responded instantly from across the chamber.

Arandi nearly sobbed in relief. She didn't know what she would have done if anything had happened to her little sister. "Are you hurt?"

"A little banged up." Jade coughed. "It's been really cold in here and…"

"He's a creep."

"He likes to touch." Another voice cut in.

"Who are you?" Arandi asked excitedly. Someone else was alive.

"I'm Theresa."

"This probably isn't going to make you feel any better but my sister and I came to rescue you."

"Well at least someone did. I've been down here for too long and Meagan even longer."

"Someone else?"

"Yes. She's really weak. He doesn't feed us or give us water. Or anything else but touching and yanking out our hair."

"He starves the women." Jade added. "He likes to watch the suffering. Hear them beg."

Arandi shuddered.

"Please tell me you weren't the only part of this rescue?" Meagan spoke up weakly.

"Our husbands are out there and trust me when I tell you that they will tear this building apart to find us."

"Oh God." Theresa wailed.

Arandi knew that sound of terror and then she screamed as her hair was pulled savagely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi kicked at the wood as hard as she could over and over. She was feeling light headed already and she hadn't even been there long.

The fucker did like to be rather touchy and it really grossed her out to be felt up like that. If he was human he'd be drawing back a nub even if she had to use her teeth.

She had no iron or salt on her. "Dean, baby, if you ever had a reason to go nuclear." She whispered.

"Arandi!" Jade warned.

There wasn't much that she could do in such a cramped space. Cold hands wrapped around her throat. She kicked and fought as much as hard as she could.

If her and Jade died like this, Jo would never forgive herself, Johnny would blame her and so would Beth and Jonathan.

She was seeing black hedging into her vision and then the blessed sound of that wonderful hero of man that was her husband.

"Take your fucking filthy hands off of her!" Dean yelled and pulled the trigger of the salt shotgun twice and Arandi breathed again.

Dean and Sam armed with crowbars quickly destroyed the compartment doors to get them all out. Sam glanced into every compartment. There was some gruesome sights in some of them.

Dean had Arandi in a bear hug and Sam followed with Jade.

Theresa was suddenly full of energy and helped Meagan stay on her feet.

"We have to get rid of him somehow." Arandi rasped. Her throat aching.

"I have an idea." Dean said excitedly. "Thing is we need bait."

Arandi eyed him. "You're actually going to let me be bait?"

"Since when do I let you anything? I don't like it but I'm going to be here and it's the only way. Jade, I know that you hate being left out of things but these women really need to get to help and you need to give the talk."

"For once I'm all for not being part of something." Jade shuddered. "Theresa, Meagan, let's get you guys out of here."

"What's the talk?" Theresa asked.

"The four of us don't exist." Jade began as she led them out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi couldn't stop shaking. She paced in the chamber and wondered for the millionth time what was taking so long.

The already freezing chamber got even colder and she readied herself.

Holmes appeared before her. She moved back slowly. She really didn't want to be touched again.

"You're so beautiful." The spirit grinned wickedly at her. He started to reach for her.

"You're a sick fucker!" Arandi yelled. She suddenly lifted and was thrown back into the wall.

She was dazed and didn't know up from down for a minute. Holmes stood above her and reached for her again.

Shots rang loudly in the chamber and bags unfurled on the walls a perfect thick circle of salt appeared on the floor.

Dean stepped in his eyes burning with fury. If he could wipe the floor with the bastard he would do it for hours.

Holmes was spinning around babbling.

Dean bent and lifted Arandi into his arms and he stepped back over the circle of salt carefully.

Sam lit up all the bones they had found, previously salted and covered in lighter fluid. They wouldn't dare leave these women's souls to suffer any longer.

"Welcome to your own personal hell you monster."

Holmes screamed. He couldn't cross over the salt. Now he was trapped in the chamber alone.

Sam pulled a lever and an iron grate locked into place on the only exit.

They left with Holmes still screaming.

Dean and Sam had made sure that no one would ever get into the chamber again with a borrowed cement truck.

They had left town having been able to save two of the women who had told a story of the deranged man that had taken them and they had managed to escape on their own. They gave all the names of the other women so that their families could have some closure.

They were too traumatized to remember the location but Theresa added that she had injured the man and he probably wasn't going to be taking any other women.

They owed their lives to the hunters so if they had to lie so be it. As long as that thing was done away with.

Miles and towns later the hunters had finally stopped to rest and for the men to take care of their women.

Dean knew that Arandi wasn't feeling well. She was too quiet and feverish. He helped her shower and get ready for bed.

Big blue eyes had told him just sleeping beside him wasn't going to be enough on this night so Dean had set up the pillows and had to bribe some more out of the desk clerk.

Dean wasn't sure if he could get through a night without Arandi to wake him if the nightmares came.

He rolled his eyes to himself. He could face the worst of monsters without as much as a tremor but he needed his wife for the big bad dreams.

He jumped when Arandi's phone went off. He reached for it hurriedly before it woke her.

"Yeah?"

"Dean? Where's Arandi?" Jo asked worriedly.

"She's asleep and I'd prefer is she stayed that way until sometime tomorrow."

"Is she ok?"

"Don't do this to yourself, Jo?"

"I didn't even think about the consequences of sending you all into a hunt like that or why she so readily took it. Johnny was not happy with me and in the whole time we've been married he has never walked out."

"How did he even know what happened?"

"I told him of course. I don't lie to him no matter what. I saw the missing women on the news and I spilled."

"He does realize that he himself has put us all in some dangerous situations?"

"I should have run it by him first. I was going to go on this hunt with him but he didn't agree to that."

Dean sighed. "I know it's hard, Jo, when someone loves you so much that they just want to hold you away and never let anything harm you. I face that every day with Arandi. I love her so much and hell even when she just has a headache I'm freaking out so when she's hurt it's like fire on me. Never hold that against him. He loves you, Jo. Never feel trapped or held back. Do you even realize how many people in the world never find that kind of love? I'm not telling you to conform to his every whim just for you to understand where he's coming from."

Jo sighed hard. "I get that. I guess sometimes hearing things from someone else makes it make more sense."

The call waiting beeped in Dean's ear. "Speaking of loving husbands he's on the other line."

"Remind him how much I love him and how I can't sleep when he's not here."

"Dr. Dean is on the situation. Talk to you later."

Dean talked to Johnny made sure to underscore how much he needed Jo and that all she was trying to do was be a part of his life because she loved him. He knew that Johnny loved his sisters and like any big brother he wanted them safe.

"It's hard for me to know they are out there instead of safe at home. It's not right, Dean, don't you feel that too?"

"Of course I want Arandi safe just like Sam wants Jade safe but they were trained for this, Johnny. Unfortunately."

"Jo hasn't been hunting since before Kelly. How do I tell her she's out of the loop without getting half the kitchen cupboards thrown at me?"

Dean chuckled. "Have her mom tell her."

"Smart. Is she ok?"

Dean looked down at Arandi. "She'll be fine. I'll make sure of that. Now go back to your wife."

He hung up. Ready to settle as best he could.

"Nice save." Arandi murmured.

"I didn't mean to wake you." He cringed.

"Really wasn't you. My throat hurts."

Dean pushed her hair aside and cringed again. Her neck was mottled with black and blue marks. If she was still feeling pain after the pain meds he'd given her then she really had to be hurting.

"No more pills." She coughed.

"You realize that people are going to think I did this to you?"

"I'll just tell them I have a kink."

"You would."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was no surprise to any of them the next day that Arandi had lost her voice completely.

Even she knew that she couldn't hunt like that. Which in her book meant that everyone got time off. Which of course in their world only led to upping the bad luck card.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	58. GOOD ENOUGH DEAD

No, I am not writing all ten seasons for the reader who was wondering. I'm not even sure that I want to keep going anymore. Thousands of reads but no reviews makes it feel pointless.

GOOD ENOUGH DEAD

Arandi and Jade barely made it out of the motel room. They watched from behind a bunch of trees as Dean and Sam were led away in handcuffs.

The entire place surrounded by SWAT. Arandi turned to look at her sister.

Dean had found them a case which he swore they weren't going to look into until Arandi was talking again. Only he had gone off on his own to investigate and had apparently walked into a fresh murder scene and was now the lead suspect along with his brother.

"If they dig up St. Louis?" Jade said worriedly.

They had to get them out of this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean didn't really like the police mostly because a majority of them were clueless and then there were the complete assholes like, Pete Sheridan who thought the world owed them something. The entire world it seemed in this case.

Dean knew that he was far from innocent. If anyone kept track of all the kills in his lifetime he'd be completely fucked and probably face execution even in states that prohibited such things.

If anyone kept records he would outshine the most prolific of serial killers, that was until the kills were separated into categories, monsters, humans, wrong place wrong time.

It was very ironic that he was sitting in jail being harassed by this so called officer of the law for a kill that he had nothing to do with. Talk about wrong place wrong time.

He could escape like a breeze through a window but he didn't. There were clues to follow and regardless of being in cuffs they had a job to do.

He cringed slightly and tried to get comfortable on the cold metal chair. They weren't supposed to be hunting but when did Dean ever do what he was supposed to do? Arandi's loss of voice would be a blessing at this point, she couldn't bitch him out but she had her own scary as all hell version of a death glare that Dean thought was super hot until it was directed at him. And then there was Sam. Little brother was not going to be happy about any time behind bars because Dean couldn't wait a couple of days.

Dean pondered everything they had come across before being arrested and he agreed to confess once he realized that one of the clues was a street name, thanks to his court appointed lawyer. He sent a note to Sam and went for the distraction so that Sam had time to escape and do what needed to be done.

It took everything he had not to snap Pete's wrists when he slammed Dean into the wall. He was in fact adorable and he loved walking on the beach with his frisky wife.

Dean glared at Pete until another cop turned him to face the wall and cuffed him a little harder than he should have and closed the cuffs way too tight.

He couldn't wait to laugh in Sheridan's face.

There was a ghost racking up a body count, a vengeful spirit by all accounts, leaving a jumbled message behind.

Dean and Sam had to figure out the connection and Dean prayed hard that Sam found their wives before they pulled something crazy.

Dean was a bit surprised when Sheridan's partner Diane Ballard came to find him. He been there for hours already and hadn't been put in a cell just hand cuffed from one table to another.

He was tired, hungry, thirsty, and pissed off enough to show some police some real harassment and brutality.

He took one look at Officer Ballard and knew something was up. She had that look of fear of the unknown.

He was right. She showed him her wrists. The ghost had visited her in the bathroom of all places and had tried to communicate with her only she couldn't because her throat had been slit.

"Casper the blood thirsty ghost." He smiled calmly.

Dean could see that she was scared, cop or not. She was also willing to believe a bit more. He did the only thing he could do. He sent her to Sam.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam had ended up at the first motel in the phone book and checked in under a name that Dean and their wives knew. It was a way of finding each other if they ever got separated.

He was thankful to find them there waiting.

Arandi just about assaulted him when Dean wasn't with him and he had to explain to her why.

"I had to drag her here. She wanted to go straight to the police station and start Armageddon." Jade huffed.

Arandi glared at her and did the best of sign language to tell her where to stick it.

"It's going to be ok, Arandi."

Sam got to work looking for all disappearances on Ashland Street. Jade helped him and Arandi paced.

They all froze when someone knocked at the door.

Sam motioned for the women to go into the bathroom just in case they had to make another mad dash.

He opened the door slowly and his heart sank thinking he was about to be hauled off to jail again and this time be under stricter supervision since he had managed to escape from a room that shouldn't have been that easy to escape from.

Diane Ballard stood there but she had no weapon drawn and she was alone.

"Your brother said you could help me?"

Sam raised an eyebrow.

She showed him her bruised wrists.

"Casper the blood thirsty ghost?"

"You and your brother are something else." Ballard huffed and stepped into the room while Sam closed the door and locked it.

"It's ok." He called out.

Ballard turned surprised as Arandi and Jade stepped from the bathroom.

Arandi glared at her with crossed arms.

"Dean's wife Arandi." Sam motioned in amusement.

"Sorry. You have to understand how this all looked from our point of view."

Arandi cleared her throat hard. "My husband is a good man." She pushed out painfully. "He saves people. We all save people."

Sam patted Arandi's shoulder gently. "Don't force your voice, you know how bad that can be."

She nodded. She didn't need to be reminded how bad that could be.

Ballard pulled a twenty from her pocket and handed it to Jade. "Go down the block on the corner there is this small market. Ask Josie for some of the spiced island tea. It will work wonders on her throat."

Jade looked at her sister. She wasn't going to risk that wrath.

Arandi nodded. She was willing to try.

Jade left.

Diane looked at Arandi. "Did this spirit do this to you?"

Arandi shook her head.

"No. H.H. Holmes did that to her."

Being a cop Ballard knew exactly who that was. She blanched and sat on the edge of the bed. "I know I'm going to regret this but tell me about it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time Sam told her the story, they were all sipping on hot spiced island tea which none of them had heard of but was incredible.

Diane was shocked but enthralled at the same time. She had been a cop for years and had seen things she would never be able to explain. Now she couldn't help but wonder how many of the cases that she had closed had been supernatural in nature. Talk about rude awakenings.

Sam handed her a stack of pictures. Diane flipped through them. "How did you get crime scene photos and mug shots?"

"You have your job, we have ours."

"I thought my job was crazy." She sighed. She scanned each photo until she recognized the face of the spirit. "This is her."

"Claire Beckett disappeared from Ashland Street nearly nine months ago. I just don't get how she ties in with the people killed and why she came to you?" Sam wondered. "We need to go check out where she disappeared from."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were barely in the building five minutes before Claire appeared to them but she was desperately trying to communicate with Diane.

Arandi stepped in front of her and motioned to Claire hoping the spirit would get the gist.

Claire's red blood eyes focused on Arandi. She reached for her and Arandi didn't move. Her body jolted as soon as she felt the touch and she went cold.

In her mind she saw everything. Why Claire had died? Who had killed her? Then Claire stepped back.

Arandi stumbled back a bit disoriented. Then she turned and looked at the wall behind them. The letters that Dean and Sam had tried to piece together shadowed on the wall.

They turned back to Claire but she was gone.

"She isn't a vengeful spirit." Arandi said clear as anything. She touched her throat. She would never be sure if it had been the tea or Claire that had fixed her. "She's a death omen. She never killed anyone. She was killed because she knew too much. The others were killed because one wanted to confess the other just to make sure and clean up the ones who knew."

"Knew what?" Diane asked.

"Did you work narcotics?"

"Yes. Pete and I both did."

"Did any heroin go missing?"

"As a matter of fact yes. It had to be a cop but he or she was never caught. Why?"

"You'll see." Arandi went to the wall and touched it. "She's in here."

Sam got to work taking the wall apart with his bare hands. He was so ready for this crap to be over and to be able to get his brother from harm's way.

They pulled the body from the wall wrapped in a shroud. Sam cut the shroud free with his pocket knife.

The first thing Diane noticed was the identical bruising on the dead woman's wrists to her own.

The second thing made her blood run cold. She reached for the necklace that the woman wore.

"Do you recognize it?" Jade asked.

"Sure do." Diane said. She pulled the same necklace from under her blouse. "It supposed to be one of a kind. Pete gave it to me." She met eyes with Arandi. More rude awakenings. What the literal fuck?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean knew he was fucked when Sheridan walked him out of the precinct alone.

The gun to his back and he was still cuffed from his hands and now his ankles.

Sheridan elbowed Dean hard in the ribs and then shoved him roughly into the back of a police transport van.

Dean sat back to catch his breath and Sheridan slammed the door shut. He got in to drive.

"Fuck." Dean hissed. How the hell was Sam going to find him?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diane got off her phone and looked worriedly at Sam. "Pete took Dean out of the precinct."

"Shit." Sam growled as they drove down the road. How was he supposed to find his brother?

"Sam?" Arandi asked from the backseat.

"Is he in a police vehicle?"

"Yeah, transport."

"Then it should have a lo-jack."

Diane looked at Sam. "You should have been a cop."

"I am."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sheridan yanked Dean from the van and shoved him roughly to the ground on some wooded back road.

Dean tried to stay on his feet but it was impossible with his ankles strapped.

He fell hard to ground and Sheridan took a couple of cheap kicks to his ribs and then one to his face.

Dean flipped onto his back. He tasted the copper of his blood from a busted lip. Cuffed or not this fucker was getting his ass kicked.

"Stay down!" Sheridan yelled and cocked the gun in his hand.

Dean looked up at him. Not an ounce of fear on his face. He had faced death too many times to fear it anymore.

Pete tilted his head. "I'm going to kill the escaping murderer."

"You go right ahead and do that then." Dean said calmly. "Then when I come back I will ripped your heart out with my bare hands."

"Come back?" Pete scoffed. "You really are insane."

"Put the gun down, Pete!" Diane yelled and aimed her own weapon. "It's over. I know what you did."

"I can still fix it, Diane, we can pin it all on this dumb fuck. We can get married."

"Sure we can. Am I going to get a one of kind ring this time?"

Pete turned to glare at her and Dean took his chance. He tackled Pete's legs and he went down with an oomph. Diane had no shot.

Dean was able to get some good shots in but he was severely hampered. Pete grabbed the gun and Dean now on his feet raised his hands and continued to glare.

"You have to kill all of us." Sam yelled. "How you gonna explain killing your partner and all of us?"

"You all tried to help this fuck escape and she got caught in the cross fire."

Diane gaped at the man she had once loved and thought he loved her too. He was going to kill her just to cover his ass. He had cheated on her with a heroin addict and who knew who else.

She raised her gun again ready to shoot.

"I still love you." Pete said with as much conviction as a dick like him would have.

Dean suddenly chuckled.

Pete turned to stare at him. Ready to do away with the cocky bastard. "What's so funny?"

"Looks like there's a line for ripping out your heart." Dean shrugged cockily. "Oh well guess I'll have to settle for just watching."

Pete saw Diane drop her arm. He laughed. He was going to get away with it.

A noise behind him made him turn. He thought he was going to shoot someone trying to sneak up on him. He dropped his own gun in terror to find Claire standing there grinning wickedly.

Diane was sure that she would dream of his screams for a very long time when Claire snatched his heart from his chest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi stood in front of Claire. She was already beginning to fade because her mission was done. She was going to be able to rest in peace now that her killer was dead.

"Can you please put his heart back?" Arandi asked softly. "It's the only way that we can make it look like the crime that it was."

Claire did so without hesitation. She mouthed thank you to them all and disappeared with a smile.

"How in the hell do I explain the damage to his heart?" Diane asked. She jumped at the gunshots.

"You shot him in the heart." Arandi said coolly and wiped the gun and handed it back to Diane.

"Alright then. I figured out that Pete was dirty and that he was going to try to use Dean as a scapegoat. I got here in time to stop things but Pete shot at me." She jumped again as Dean fired Pete's gun where she would have been standing to get off the shots that killed him. "I shot him. Dean escaped. I'll make sure to cover your ass. Because of Pete and his involvement with these murders, you would be released anyway but this way you can go and all of you do what you do best. I'll sleep better at night. The death omen Claire?"

"She's gone now." Arandi replied. "Her job done she can rest now."

"I've done this once and I'm done. How do you do it all the time?"

Sam smiled.

"Yeah, smart ass, I have my job and you have yours. Now get out here. I've got some shit to cover and then I'm retiring."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had to walk a few miles before they found a house with the lights on and Arandi knocked.

She acted her heart out with the older couple that lived there and begged for a ride into town because some cop had pulled them over and had beat up her boyfriend and his brother and had tried to rape her and her sister.

They had escaped and they just wanted to get into the next town and go home.

The couple believed the tale when they saw Dean bloodied and bruised. Sam hid behind his long hair.

They not only drove them within blocks of the Impala but insisted on giving them money to be on their way.

They promised if anyone came looking for them they wouldn't say a word.

They all wished more people existed in the world like that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean hated when his ribs were hurt. It made it impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in and he couldn't do other things either.

He grumbled nonsense while he got ready for bed.

Arandi stood by the door with pills in hand and his bottle of whiskey.

"I don't need…"

The look she gave him made him stop. He had made her take pills when she got tossed by Holmes so now it was his turn.

He threw the pills in his mouth and took the bottle and took a long swig. He stuck out his tongue so she would be satisfied that he had taken them.

He walked past her and laid down carefully. She got as close as she could without touching him.

He hadn't paid attention to what she had given him but he was floating in seconds and out cold soon after.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean walked through a field of sunflowers. The day a perfect blend of sunny and cool breeze. He knew he was dreaming.

He looked around trying to figure out why he was dreaming of sunflowers.

He heard the flapping of wings and he looked up but couldn't see anything but blue sky and cotton candy clouds.

"Arandi? Sam? Jade?" He called out and a resounding echo filled his mind.

"A walk in the dark is a walk in the park." He heard that voice again. "Dark souls fill dark holes."

"Who are you?"

He saw his double walking towards him. "I'm your worst nightmare."

"I won't let my brother go dark side."

His twin laughed. "Leave it to you to never see the whole picture. It's right under your nose and you're so fucking blind."

"For once I would love it if someone just came out and told me what they fucking meant instead of all this cryptic riddle me this crap."

He stood still as his mirror image was just suddenly in his face. His voice slightly distorted. "What makes you think that Sammy is the only one that can go dark?"

The second Dean blinked long and hard and tilted his head.

Dean turned to run away, to wake up and not have to believe anything but that he was in control of his own destiny.

Anything to not face himself with the different colored eyes.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	59. CROSSROADS AND CROAWHAT?

I know it has been awhile since I posted. I really thought about quitting but I ended up in the hospital again and went through another major surgery. I was in the hospital awhile but now I am home and since I'm pretty much unable to do much of anything for a few months I decided to work on my story to stay semi sane. Netflix and Hulu are there but I have to be doing something with my hands so here I am pushing onward. Not that anyone actually gives two shakes of a rat's ass. Do rats shake their ass? lol

CROSSROADS AND CROAWHAT?

Dean startled awake blinded by the bright rays of the sun. For a moment he thought he was still asleep seeing the thousands of swaying sunflowers around him.

He sat up slowly and blinked. Reality creeping in on him.

He was actually in a field of sunflowers. The scent of them filling his senses. The warmth of the sun seeping into his shirts and skin.

He stood up and spun in a slow circle. All the sunflowers closest to him had been leveled to the ground in a perfect circle. He had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. Or if there might be an actual look alike of him stalking him.

"What the hell did Arandi give me?" He mumbled to the wind.

He had gone to bed in a tank top and pajama bottoms but now he was fully dressed in his jeans and black Henley with a dark gray and black flannel over shirt. He even had his gun and knife on him.

How in the hell had he gotten past Arandi?

His heart began to beat fast. What if he had hurt her? His hands shook as he checked his gun. It had been fired recently and three bullets were missing. "Oh God, oh God." He panicked.

He checked himself for his phone but he had either left it behind or lost it. Damn and he hadn't even had it a whole day. He'd had the other one taken away from him at the police station and Sam had erased it remotely.

He took a deep breath. He was an awesome tracker. He had learned from the best and had become the best. He calmed his breathing and closed his eyes.

He spun in a slow circle again to get his bearings. He opened his eyes and started walking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean estimated that he had walked about three miles when he came to a gigantic tree. He started to walk past it but stopped. Etched across the tree in huge crooked lettering was the word Croatoan.

"Croawhat?" Dean muttered as he stepped closer to the tree the need to touch the words suddenly overwhelming. Somehow the word was familiar. The rough feel of the bark under calloused fingers gave him a calming sense, like a familiarity he didn't realize that he needed. Yet still and underlying sense of panic, barely there but there.

He squinted at the word and could imagine someone standing at the tree with a very large knife carving, not calmly but hecticly. With eyes wide, waiting to run screaming. "From what?" Dean murmured to himself.

He suddenly remembered why he knew the word not only from school but also from it being a great unsolved mystery of mass disappearance most hunters knew and everyone of them had their own theory.

Why here though? In the middle of who knew where? Or was it just some whacked coincidence? Something he didn't quite invest in so to speak.

He looked around. Would not have been too surprised to see someone standing there. Mirror image or whatever. All this so far was on this side of a wild acid ride. Not that he had a clue what that was like.

He turned in a circle again and stopped. He could swear that it hadn't been there a moment before but he only sighed and started walking.

It was a crossroads. He was just going to walk through but he noticed the fresh pile of dirt in the very center of the roads. An old abandoned building sat off to the side.

"Oh man, please tell me I didn't." He racked his brain for any memories but the last thing he remembered was lying on the bed with Arandi.

He looked around hoping to see something. Anything that would stir his mind.

He stared at the dirt about to vibrate out of his skin. Finally he knelt and began to dig it up. He prayed under his breath the entire time.

He was a bit relieved that he didn't remember the tin box but he knew he could have still gotten it during the time that he couldn't remember.

He opened the box and found the usual ingredients and when he found the picture he let out a breath he hadn't even realized that he was holding. It hadn't been him but some other unknowledged fool that would have his soul ripped out of him by hell hounds in ten years.

Like his own father. He looked closer into the hole and could see other boxes at different angles. If he really thought about it he could just imagine that every crossroad in the world held its share of buried secrets.

He looked at the picture in his hand and stuffed in it his shirt pocket and did the same with a few other boxes. There was no way to tell how long ago the deals had been made but just the fact that there was more than a dozen just in the area that Dean dug up gave him little comfort.

He wondered too if his waking up out in the middle of a field had anything to do with the crossroads. It was frustrating. So fucking frustrating.

He stood up. He would have to worry about that some other time, first he had to make sure that he hadn't hurt Arandi or anyone else that didn't deserve it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stood staring around him. Maybe he had finally hit his head too hard to come back from because he swore that he had left the crossroads yet he was still standing there.

"What the hell?"

"Hell, you've got that right, Dean." A female voice made him turn.

A beautiful woman in a red dress and heels with matching eyes stood a few feet away.

"What do you want?"

"How about a deal? So dear old dad won't get ripped apart."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "What kind of deal?"

"Arandi getting pregnant and you getting to be there until they are off to college." The demon walked closer.

"Why so anxious to get a hold of my soul?"

"Oh Dean Winchester is a hot commodity and the demon that gets him well let's just say I'd get one hell of a promotion."

"And my dad?"

"He gets to live a long full life. Be grandfather of the year when you're no longer there."

Arandi pregnant and happy filtered through his thoughts. His kids would be old enough and he'd get to be a dad. "Choices."

"Your choice." The demon stood in front of him.

He desperately tried to remember what it was about choices that was so important.

"Just one kiss and it's a done deal." The demon cooed.

Dean heard the sound of flapping wings. He closed his eyes. Arandi, Sam, his mom. They would be so disappointed in him. His dad would probably hit him. Dean would let him.

His eyes shot open and the demon actually gasped and stepped back.

"Go back to hell." Dean growled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stared at the dead demon. He had no idea how it had happened one second she had been standing in front of him the next she was flashing like she was burning from the inside out.

He hadn't moved from where he was standing. At least he didn't feel as he had moved. Still she looked as if someone was holding her up before the flashing stopped and she was dead.

Dean blinked hard. His hands clenched tightly. His eyes felt hot. He heard the flapping wings again but couldn't see anything.

"Choices." He said out loud. He suddenly sensed someone behind him and he spun around as fast as he could but everything fell into nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Raindrops on his face brought him awake. The crossroads were gone and no more sunflowers. He heard the sounds of traffic and sat up slowly.

Fuck, this shit was getting old. He stood up everything spun around him and his stomach lurched.

He stumbled a bit and moved. He had no clue where he was but at least now he was within reach of help.

The first street sign that he saw he realized that he was only blocks from the motel where they were staying. He hurried as fast as he could and made it to the room he shared with Arandi.

He opened the unlocked door and found her lying on the bed still. He looked at the clock on the bedside and frowned. It was an entire day later and there was no way that Arandi had slept that long with him gone. Not unless she wasn't asleep.

He was terrified to touch her. He stared at her hard and nearly sobbed when he saw the rise and fall of her breathing.

He still had no clue where those bullets had gone and what about Sam and Jade?

"Arandi, baby?" He called to her and he sat on the edge of the bed.

She moaned groggily and had to fight to open her eyes. "Dean? Why are you wet?"

"Baby, I don't know what's going on but I'm beginning to freak out here."

Arandi looked at Dean better and sat up fast. "Dean, what happened?" She touched his face gently. He was bruised as if he'd been hit hard.

Dean hadn't even realized it. He stood up and the room spun. Arandi was there to keep him from falling. His body felt so hot and his eyes burned. Thrumming in his head like a memory fighting to come to the front of his mind.

"Someone is playing a mean game of tug of war and I'm the rope." He slurred before he pitched forward out cold on the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi was in a panic. She didn't know what had happened but she had apparently slept over twenty four hours and Dean had gotten hurt.

She rushed to get Sam and was surprised to find her sister alone. Waking also thinking that she had only slept overnight.

"What the fuck?" Arandi turned in a circle. She stopped herself and took a deep breath. She couldn't lose her shit when her husband and now her sister needed her the most.

Sam nowhere to be found.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam gasped and sat up wide eyed. He wasn't in the motel room with Jade. He had gone to bed shirtless and in his boxers and now he was completely dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt and a black and white flannel.

He tried to remember anything but the last thing he remembered was lying down on the bed with Jade.

He looked around to find himself in the middle of a field of wildflowers and briars. He looked at himself. He didn't have a scratch on him and that would be impossible walking through wild briars.

He stood up slowly. Now he had to get through them to get out. He spun in a circle trying to decide the best way to go. He closed his eyes and made himself relax.

He realized that his gun was on him and he pulled it out and checked it. He panicked slightly when he realized that it had been fired and three bullets were missing.

"What the hell did I do?" He said to the wind. He had to get out there and find out. Once again he closed his eyes. He wasn't as great a tracker as Dean only because he had never taken the intense interest in it that his brother had. Still he came a pretty close second well maybe further down after Bobby and Johnny.

"I need out of here." He breathed and opened his eyes. He stared in a bit of shock. He was either dreaming or he was drugged.

There was a perfectly hedged path out now where there had been nothing but briars. In his life he didn't dare look a gift horse in the mouth.

He walked through as fast as he could because somehow he just knew that the briars would be back in place.

He wasn't disappointed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stood in front the gigantic tree touching the crudely carved letters. "Croatoan." He whispered. He knew what it meant, he had even done a book report on it and had in his childhood years imagined he would solve the mystery along with others that baffled the world. Ok he still thought of it sometimes. After all if he hunted why not solve mysteries too.

His vision filled with people running and screaming being attacked by their own but before he could focus he suddenly had the too uneasy feeling that he wasn't alone and he turned around and saw crossroads he could swear had not been there just moments before. He nearly laughed. Briars that had minds of their own, etched trees, and appearing crossroads, hell he must have swallowed the worm. The worm packed with LSD laced with angel dust.

He walked forward and saw the dug up hole in the ground and he panicked slightly. "Please tell me I didn't." He whispered and rushed over but stopped cold when he saw the body of woman hidden in the grass.

"Fuck." He muttered. Had he done that? He walked over slowly and noticed boot tracks on the dirt but they were smaller than his own and pretty damn fresh maybe about ten minutes old. He looked around warily before leaning down to check the woman.

He didn't even bother to check for a pulse, she was dead and she had been a demon. The eyes and the smell of sulphur gave that away.

"What can kill a demon like this?" He asked the air. Another demon maybe.

"You could if you just accept what you are."

Sam spun around to face another female. "Who are you?"

"What? You think if one demon is killed at the crossroads that it just closes for business? No, Sam, the show must go on."

"Who killed her?"

The demon sneered. "Do you really want to know?"

"Why aren't you afraid?"

"The danger is gone for now. Unless you decide to grow a pair."

Sam glared at the demon making her shrug sheepishly.

The sunlight glinted on something on the road and Sam leaned down to pick it up. His heart flipped.

"My brother did this?" He barely whispered.

"How dark can a dark heart get in the darkest dark?" The demon responded.

"Did my brother do this?" Sam yelled.

The demon stepped back almost scared.

"I asked you…" Sam quaked in anger. He felt hot all over. He heard the wind moving behind him but before he could turn to look the demon was screaming in fear and vanished.

He sensed someone behind him and was terrified to turn and find his brother being not his brother.

"Dean?" He whispered. Then he fell hard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi paced the room wondering what to do. Dean was out of it still she checked every few minutes for his breathing.

She nearly pulled her gun and shot him when Sam stumbled into the room not looking much better.

His eyes were wide. He seemed both relieved and scared to find Dean lying on the bed.

Jade brushed past him trying to get his attention and Arandi pulled her back closer to her.

They both only stared at the brothers. Dean's eyes were open and a dark green. "How dark can a dark heart get in the darkest dark?" They said in unison.

Dean sat up. "Sammy?"

"What's happening to us, Dean?"

The room began to shake.

Arandi shoved Jade to the ground and covered her. The bright light was blinding and ugly howls and growls of large dogs, shattering glass, the flapping wings were all she heard before everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Arandi? Baby, please wake up."

She moaned. Her head pounding. "Jade?"

"She's shaken but fine." Dean answered.

Arandi opened her eyes. She looked at him. "What the hell happened? Is happening?"

"The crossroads deals." Dean started. "There is a couple of people here at the motel that have deals coming due in a couple of days and for some reason we were able to hear the hell hounds too."

"The bright light and the flapping wings? More broken glass?"

"No clue but the flapping wings, I heard them too here and at the crossroads."

Arandi eyed him.

"Yeah, I guess I should start at the beginning." Dean sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ok so both of you somehow ended up at the same crossroads but at different times. A demon died in front of you and the other one ran screaming. We all heard flapping wings and breaking glass which there is none to be seen. Jade and I slept for hours your guns are both missing bullets. Did I leave anything out?"

Sam reached in his pocket and pulled out Dean's amulet and handed it to him. "I found this out on the crossroads. That was how I knew that you were there."

"There was something else out there, Sam, you felt it too." Dean replied as he settled his necklace back into place.

"I know." Sam ran his fingers tightly through his hair. "I just don't get what it all means. It's like they, whoever they are, whatever theyare, are trying to confuse us so badly we can't think straight."

"Yeah but how did we just happen to end up at the motel where two different deal makers are about to meet their demise?"

"We're that damn good?" Sam joked.

"I can work with that, Triple H." Dean huffed. "So let's figure out what the hell we can do, if anything, to save their asses."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We all used to frequent this bar called Lloyds." Dr. Pearlman said anxiously. It was obvious that she hadn't had much sleep. "We didn't really know each other or talk beside a random hello or goodbye. We just saw each other there more often than not. Each of us had our problems that seemed to dim a bit with a glass of amber fire. One night this man shows up. Sweetest talker you could ever meet. He took us down one by one of course everyone one of us thought he was just some drunk passing the time with bullshit promises. Then this architect, Sean Boyden, he comes back to Lloyds and tells us that he just made like three million dollar deals when just days before he was told that he couldn't even design a proper tent."

"It didn't dawn on any of you that things like that don't happen just because you asked nicely? Sam asked a bit exassperated.

"I guess but when you're desperate to be the best at what you do. It's hard to turn your back on fortune and fame. Besides I was still a bit skeptical. I made the deal and the next thing I know I'm the youngest doctor to be chief of surgery and I'm making money hand over fist. I ran with it. Ten years seems like a long time until it's not."

"Sean Boyden?" Jade inquired.

"He's already dead. Jumped to his death from one of his greatest creations."

"Were there others?" Dean growled angrily.

"He was there for nearly two weeks. What do you think?"

Arandi walked in then with the other deal maker.

Dean already on edge from all the crap and being reminded of his own father's deal got in his face. "What did you make a deal for Evan Hudson? Huh? Money, smarts, bigger dick? What could be so fucking important for you to get your soul ripped out of you and dragged to hell?"

Arandi rested a calming hand on his chest and gently pushed him back.

Evan smiled sadly. "I asked for my wife not to die of cancer."

Dean deflated for a second but raged up again instantly. "Couldn't stand to live alone but now she gets to right?"

"She gets to live without all that pain and that's all that matters to me. I don't want to die but if she's healthy she can move on with her life. I've made sure she will never have anything to worry about."

"True love at its best." Dean growled and spun on his heel and headed out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Midnight will be here before we know it." Sam said to Dean where he stood seething leaned up against the Impala. "What are we supposed to do?"

"How did this happen? How in the hell did we all end up here together? It's like a great big flashing neon sign telling us that it's on us."

"Want to take a wild guess where that bar was located ten years ago?"

"Right by the crossroads?"

Sam nodded.

"Tell me, Sam, what's so important about Dr. Pearlman and Evan Hudson that out of all the people that have made deals, we are led to them?"

"Maybe so we can find a way to save dad."

Dean spun to look at Sam. "Maybe."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're going to summon the demon that made the deals?" Sam nearly screeched. "You have lost your fucking mind!"

"We know how to trap demons. You and Jade keep these guys alive while Arandi and I do this." Dean tried to sound convincing.

"Just how are we supposed to keep hell hounds at bay?"

"Bobby sent Jefferson to bring us some goofer dust. He should be here in about an hour. Make circles and stay in them."

"I don't like this."

"The demon that made the deals is the only one that can break them. And you were the one that was all hyped up on saving them."

"Not if it's going to get my brother killed. We don't even know what's going on and you're going back out there?"

"It's that or just sit on our thumbs and watch these people get ripped apart."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just please don't do anything stupid."

"Have I ever?" Dean winked and left Sam flustered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi set up the things they needed to summon the exact demon that had made the deals.

They were quickly running out of time so Dean sliced into his palm and dribbled his blood over the ingredients in a larger tin box. He recited the words needed and stepped back.

"Well, well, Dean Winchester as I live and breathe." The demon sneered. "Do I live and breathe? Oh well that's not important right now. Why are you summoning me?" He was blue eyed and blonde. Quite handsome for a demon.

"I've heard that you were the go to demon around these parts. Thought we could chat." Dean stepped forward as the demon stepped back.

"One of my workers died and another one went into hiding because of you Winchesters and I'm just supposed to trust you?"

Dean turned to Arandi in disbelief. "A demon not trusting. That's rich." He took another step towards the demon. The demon stepped back.

"I want you to rip up all the deals you made at Lloyds. You've collected enough souls." Dean said coolly.

"Excuse me but I got those souls fair and square so fuck off."

"You're right." Dean sighed.

The demon gloated.

"You shouldn't trust me." Dean finished and snapped his fingers.

Arandi pulled a wire. The demon was flung suddenly into the air inside of a net.

The demon made to vanish but couldn't and he looked around to see what was keeping him from doing it. The net had been designed especially for demons.

"You can't do this." The demon hissed angrily.

"Looks like we did."

"Look, let me go and I'll make sure that your dad gets the ten years that he was supposed to get."

Dean felt cold all over. He looked at Arandi then back at the demon. "He didn't get ten years?"

The demon sneered despite his situation. "He didn't tell you? Azazel only gave him three."

Dean felt sick but he kept his mask in place. "Cancel all the deals and add the years to my dad."

"You can't have both. Choose."

"End the deals." Dean replied.

"Really? You chose strangers over your own father."

"I'm going to get my dad out of the deal too."

"The demon laughed. "The only way that deal gets nixed is if Azazel dies and he can't be killed by any ordinary means. He can't even be exorcised. The only thing that could kill him he has in his own hands."

Dean felt fury burning through him. He stepped up to the net and looked up at the demon. "End the deals or…" He stopped for just a moment the demon looked absolutely terrified.

"Oh fine, there isn't that many left anyway. I will even let them keep what they dealt for."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Everything is fine on this end." Sam told Dean over the phone. "They stopped hearing the hell hounds and now it's way past midnight so all is good."

"Alright, see you in a little while."

The demon still in the net seemed to be pouting. "Now let me go."

"What's the magic word?" Dean taunted.

"The doc and the other fool are going to live to be damn near ninety so let me go." The demon whined. He let out a gasp and his eyes widened. "Wait a minute."

The ground trembled and Dean grabbed Arandi and pulled her close. The wind blew stronger.

The net began to swing with it. "I didn't know!" The demon screamed.

Dean's head buzzed. "Crap not now."

The wind blew harder and Dean pushed Arandi to the ground and covered her.

The demon's screams were suddenly cut short and Dean glanced up just as the wind died and the trembling stopped.

Arandi looked up too.

The demon was still in the net but obviously dead, its body grotesquely twisted and broken.

"Let's get the hell out of here." Dean demanded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't know what it was, Sam, but it has to be strong to rip a demon up like that."

"It was probably Azazel trying to prove a point." Sam suggested.

Dean shook his head. He took a drink of his coffee at the motel table where he and Sam were sitting and going over what had happened. "I don't think so. He likes to brag too much to not take credit for this." He stared at his fingers. "Besides even Azazel would be effected by the devil's trap."

"There's something else?"

Dean lifted his eyes to meet his brother's. "The demon said dad only got three years."

Sam sighed loudly. "I know this is getting to you, Dean. I'm sorry for that but I can't hold a grudge for his saving you."

"He's going to die horribly. You're ok with that?"

"No, I'm not ok with that but he did it for the best of reasons and we have time to figure out how to save him."

"The demon said that the only way to break that deal is Azazel's death. The only thing that could kill him was that colt."

"The demon lied."

Dean and Sam turned to see Evan entering the room with Dr. Pearlman and Arandi and Jade.

"Excuse me?" Dean responded. "You're suddenly a demon expert?"

"Not an expert but trust me I had ten years to try to save my own bacon and I learned a few things here and there. Demons can kill other demons."

"Azazel is the strongest demon out there. A regular demon wouldn't even make a scratch on him."

"Azazel isn't the strongest even he answers to Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" They hunters replied in unison.

"Pretty sure Azazel would have mentioned that bad boy." Jade huffed.

"Angels can kill demons too."

Dean snickered. "Sorry, don't have any on speed dial."

"Just saying. Since you guys definitely have the upper hand knowledge on the supernatural."

The hunters looked from one to the other.

"Call Bobby."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Evan and Sarah showed their gratitude to the hunters by taking them out to dinner and then giving them a sizable monetary reward. They insisted when Sam said it wasn't necessary and grunted when Dean kicked him hard under the table.

"We didn't need to take their money." Sam huffed later as they drove back to the motel.

"They didn't need to sell their souls either."

"You got the money so whatever."

Dean started to respond, taking his eyes off the road for just a moment. A flash of movement caught his eye.

"Son of a bitch." He yelled and instinctively reached out to brace Arandi as he slammed on the brakes and the car fish tailed into a ditch.

Another flash filled his vision right before the lights went out completely.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


	60. THE RETURN

Once again I apologize for the delay. Not only am I working with only half of my keyboard down but I also lost the 13 chapters that I had prepared. So I basically have to start over and type slower on my touch screen. I swear I had backed my stuff up but I can't find it anywhere. Be patient with me please.

I would like to give thanks to RED for the words of encouragement and also AWERRY, DISNEY101, and LLOYD10000. Thank you all for being there in your own way!

I also want to thank EVERYONESSISTER for putting up with my propmts and just getting better and better!

I will keep going for all of you. For now...

Short chapter as to not get too far behind.

THE RETURN

Dean heard buzzing lots and lots of buzzing. Somewhere in the buzzing he heard Sam saying his name repeatedly and Arandi using her most murderous tone and a high screeching voice repeating how sorry she was.

Dean wanted nothing more than to go back into his mind and find a quiet place but Sam sounded like he was about to panic and Arandi like she was about to need to hide a body. He didn't feel like hiding bodies and the screeching was getting on his nerves. He forced his eyes open. Sam's hand was squeezing his shoulder repeatedly as he blinked and realized it was the Impala steering wheel that was holding him up.

He sat up and everything stopped no more buzzing, no screeching, no murdous tone, no monotony of his name. He blinked and everything came into sharp focus.

Sam helped him stand out of the car and he was fine. He really was and he wasn't sure why it surprised him so much.

He saw Arandi and another young woman standing in front of the Impala so he made his way towards them and rested his hand on Arandi's shoulder and squeezed. Sam was right behind him.

"I'm fine, baby. I don't even have a headache." He reassured her.

Arandi visibly relaxed as well as Sam.

"Who are you?" Dean asked the woman.

"My name is Ava, Ava Wilson."

"And you were vying to be my cars hood ornament because...?"

"I had to stop you."

Everyone looked at her waiting for her to explain. She looked around nervously.

"This is going to sound crazy but...I..."

"We deal with a lot of crazy so just say what you have to say." Sam said in his soothing tone.

"I saw you all die." She finished in a rush.

She had their complete attention.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ava Wilson as it was, refused to diclose any another information until they all were away from the road and in another town all together.

Once the Winchesters were checked into another motel of Ava's choosing she finally started to relax. Mostly. Sam and Jade had gone in Ava's car because she was trembling so badly.

Finally settled down and cleaned up they all took a seat to hear Ava's explantion. As it turned out she had visions as well only hers came days before they occurred not mere minutes or hours.

"Why are you all so calm about this and not pulling out a strait jacket?" Ava stammered.

"I have visions too." Sam replied calmly. "Only nowhere near as how extreme yours seem to be."

"Of course you do." Ava stood up and started to pace. "Why did I bother getting out of bed?"

"Tell us more." Jade pushed as she handed her a cup of hot tea.

Ava sat back down and cleared ber throat. "I've had visions for a while. They started off as dreams coming true every now and again. A couple of years ago they started happening while I was awake too. I began to see people's deaths and I did what I could to help. Like I said it never happened very often and then it did and it started being people I had never met. Hard to save people when there is billions of them and not all the visions show me headlines or city limits." She took a deep breath and a drink from her tea. "You were the first time that I had the vision more than once and it kept changing. How you died kept changing. I saw the name of the motel a couple of days ago and I had to find you. Only I didn't get here in time so I took a short cut to cut you off and I barely made it and the reason I almost became a hood ornament was because if you went any furher you would all be dead."

Everyone sat quietly waiting for her to compose herself. It was easy to tell that she was replaying her vision in her mind.

"There was a large truck waiting up the road waiting to ram you off the road on purpose. Some of you died instantly the rest...not so much." She looked at Dean then slowly turned to look at Arandi.

"Who was waiting?" Dean asked trying to shake off shudder of somehow knowing he and Arandi had died ugly.

"I never saw their face just the truck."

Dean could tell just the vision was enough trauma for her. Her huge blue eyes filling with unshed tears.

"I don't know what to do now." Ava mumbled. "Someone that hell bent on killing you isn't going to stop trying."

"She's right." Sam interjected. "Whoever it is will try again."

"It's Walker . You know it as well as I do." Dean nearly growled. "He's the cowardly type to take us out like that. Only now he is sitting somewhere stewing because he lost his chance and has no idea why."

"Am I in danger?" Ava asked worriedly.

"I'm not going to lie to you, the man is sick and if he pieces things together he might go after you." Dean replied. "Do you live alone?"

"No, I live with my fiance."

"For now it's best that you both take a vacation or something." Sam looked at Dean as he spoke.

Dean nodded.

"You're sure that it's Walker."

"Yeah he's not one to let go of what I did to him. And I'm not letting go of what he did either."

"He's not picking a fight, he's trying to start a war." Jade said angrily.

"He wants a war he's going to get a war." Arandi hissed.

"Just out of curiosity how else did you see us die?" Sam asked.

Ava wrung her hands. "Having the visions is stressful enough. Reliving them is not a hobby I care to take up."

"How did you save others?" Arandi inquired.

"Not much talking involved. I just altered certain things. Usually worked but I knew you were different since I had multiple visions."

"How can you be sure that the other visions won't still happen?"

"I just know." Ava shrugged. "Besides now that I've met you I'm pretty sure that you aren't the type of family that believes in murder suicide."

"Excuse me?" Dean pressed.

"One of my visions. You and Sam each shot Arandi and Jade twice one to the head and one to the heart and then you shot each other."

" What else?" Dean asked his head suddenly pounding.

"Then a jumble of things, sunflowers, wildflowers, an immense tree, crossroads both of you dead but no idea how you went from hotel room to fields when dead."

Dean pressed fingers to his temples a rush of sound moving through his head. Then Ava loud and clear 'how dark does a dark heart get in the darkest dark'. "I need a drink."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Sam stood outside passing a bottle of whiskey back and forth.

"She saw all that, Sammy, and it couldn't have happened I mean the missing bullets... but I would never kill Arandi or you...it has to mean something. Right?"

I don't know. Driving ourselves nuts isn't going to help anything."

"This coming from the boy wonder who wants to know how everything works?"

"What she said and what I felt...?" Sam shook his head.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I get it."

"Whatever the case, Dean, we're all alive and mostly in one piece, just once how about we don't poke the hornet nest?" He took one last swig and headed back inside.

Dean sighed. He hoped it could be that simple. Ignoring the dread that filled him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After handing Ava a wad of cash to take her fiancé on a surprise vacation, they made sure that she made it home and then waited for them to leave before heading back to the motel.

Dean insisted that for once they share a room and noone argued the point.

"We need to make a trip home." Dean blurted suddenly. "Give everyone the heads up."

"We could just call them." Sam suggested.

"No, there other issues that we…..I need to deal with."

Sam nodded. "I guess you're right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day they were back in Texas within hours. Dean drove with a purpose in the rented SUV he insisted on getting since the Impala was highly recognizable and the thought of having to put her back together again made him nauseas.

He had left her in a storage garage and told her he would make it up to her. Arandi smiling fondly because Dean took care of everything he loved with all his heart and soul.

They hadn't called ahead either so their parents were surprised and thrilled to see them.

"I wish that we could tell you that it's a good visit." Dean sighed as he hugged his mom.

They sat around the dining table with coffee and pie while they explained what had happened with Ava.

"Are you telling us everything?" John asked.

"I don't know, dad, are you?" Dean growled locking eyes with him.

John stared back defiantly. "I really don't like this new attitude of yours, son."

"Really?" Dean made a circle with his fingers. "See that? That's how many fucks I give." He hissed.

"Something I should know here?" Mary interjected before things escalated.

"You didn't tell her did you?" Sam accused angrily.

John lowered his eyes to stare at his hands. "I haven't told anyone. So how did you find out?"

"Interesting conversation that I had with a demon. He tried to bargain so that I wouldn't send him back to hell."

"Hello!" Mary raised her voice.

"I didn't say anything at first and then it just didn't seem right to say anything after a while."

"John?"

"I only got three years." He blew out. He looked at her with sad eyes.

Mary stared at him slack jawed. "You what?" She finally whispered and got up and left the room.

Sam stood up. "So what, dad, you were planning to just let her figure it out when the hell hounds showed up? I'm beyond grateful that you saved Dean. I am, dad, but you should have been honest with us all." He left the room too. Jade right behind him.

Beth sighed. "Ever get that feeling like you got dumped in a vortex of doom?"

"Every day of my life." Arandi huffed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry, Dean." John said.

Dean was standing on the patio staring towards the tree house as he sipped on a beer.

"I'm sorry for not being honest about everything but I'm not sorry for you being here."

Dean swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Remember the day you and Jonathan finished the tree house?"

John moved to stand next to his son. "Yeah. Jonathan and I got up early that day so that we could surprise you kids when you got up."

"Arandi and I were so thrilled. It was like Christmas in July. One of the best days of my life. You remember what you told me?"

John cleared his throat. "I told you that you had to be responsible. That the tree house was like your place to keep up. That it should always remind you of your dad even when I was gone."

"I didn't understand then what gone meant. I thought you meant when you were at work. Death still hadn't touched our world. Now it's all there seems to be all around us."

"I know but like I said I don't regret what I did."

"What happens if I die before your deal comes due?"

"Dean, what are you talking about?" John asked worriedly.

"Three years isn't long enough to live but it's too long to be able to die."

"Dean?"

Dean looked at John. "Yeah, dad?"

John stared at him. "Nothing, son. Let's go get ready for dinner before your mom ends us both tonight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After dinner they sat around discussing what they should do. Everyone was still tense but everyone tried to hide it as well.

Eventually they decided to call it a day and to start planning anew the next day.

Everyone headed to bed. Dean and Sam with their wives in their old rooms.

Dean really thought he was going to have trouble sleeping but nodded off rather quickly, only to wake up a few hours later panting from the dream he had just had.

Vivid living color version of the murder suicide Ava had seen. It rattled him to think he could actually kill not only the love of his life but also the little brother he was supposed to protect at all costs.

He got out of bed as quietly as possible and headed downstairs. He would take a couple of shots and then wake Arandi for a round of energetic sex so he could fall back to sleep.

Once he had the whiskey in hand he just drank straight from the bottle as to not have to deal with glasses. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the bar enjoying the burn as the amber liquid moved down his throat.

He heard a creak of a floor board, sure that Sam was about to join him. Sure until the pain from the connecting pistol handle threw him into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

Thanks for reading!


	61. A WALK ON THE BAD SIDE

Warning for touch of torture.

A WALK ON THE BAD SIDE

Arandi sat up fast on the bed. A noise she couldn't quite place having starled her awake. Her hunter's instincts kicking into high gear. Not normal. Not here.

Dean wasn't beside her so she hurried off the bed, quietly and quickly and went in search of him. Dread filling her as she rushed down the stairs with her gun in hand. Praying to see Dean with a cocked eyebrow wondering why she was being paranoid.

Nothing but the cool air of the night greeted her from the still open sliding glass door.

"Dean?" She called. The only response was night sounds that only seemed to be taunting her.

She moved toward the door but stopped when she neared the bar. She ran her fingers over the dark spot she noticed and her fingers came up red with blood that was still wet. She saw the bottle of whiskey spilled on the floor. Her heart began to race, anger and frustration neck and neck with her emotions, she had barely missed them. She could feel it down to her core.

Someone had taken Dean. None of them feared anything when they were home since the properties were warded to the teeth. Apparently they needed to have fear.

"Sam!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone had come tearing down the stairs at Arandi's scream.

Once she explained that Dean was missing they all got into action making calls and searching for clues. Sam had taken off down the road to see if he could still catch whoever had had the balls to take his brother but to no avail.

"You know as well as I do." His brothers's voice echoed in his head. "It's Walker." He said to himself.

Back at the house he spoke of his thought.

"This place is warded to high heaven." Mary wailed.

"Against evil and monsters not humans and no matter how deranged Walker is he is still human." Sam reminded.

"We still have a home alarm and motion sensors."

John went pale. "I didn't set them tonight. I wasn't thinking."

It was something that could happen to any of them and had happened to them so regardless of the fact that it had happened at the worst possible time, not that anytime would have been a good time, they had to deal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Was it murder suicide if you shot your brother instead of yourself? Wasn't it just plain double fratricide with a side of double oxoricide? Not that there was anything plain about any of it.

That was Dean's first thought as consciousness crept back into his head.

His head pounded as he clenched his teeth and opened his eyes slowly.

He was tied to a chair, really tied to a chair. His arms bound from wrists to elbows with thick rope. Very tightly tied, his fingers were tingling and his legs were just as tightly bound at an angle that was more than uncomfortable with his long legs. It bothered him greatly that it been done to him while unconscious, going to show just how hard he had been hit.

He had no clue how long he had been out. A slight chill came over him. He had gone to bed in sports pants and a t-shirt and had slipped on his running shoes to go downstairs. How in the hell had he been caught off guard? John wouldn't be pissed off at him as much as he was pissed off at himself.

"Hey, Dean."

Dean winced. The sound of Walker's voice grating in his ears like nails on a chalk board. For some reason all Dean could picture was a black board being dragged over thousands of dead fingers with long nails. He lifted his head in the direction of the voice.

"How..." He started then coughed and spit out the copper tang taste in his mouth.

"Had to make sure that you stayed out for a while." Walker chuckled.

"Yes, of course, God forbid you try to face me like a man." Dean growled. He blinked and swallowed the urge to throw up.

"I'm man enough to admit when I've been bested. Doesn't mean I'm gonna let it happen again."

"Bested? You mean getting your ass handed to you?"

Walker stepped forward and back handed Dean across the face.

Dean coughed and spit up more blood. He tried to shake his head but it only made the nausea come rolling back. "Real tough guy, untie me and try that again."

"You don't get to make demands, Dean. After what you did all you get is payback." Walker hit Dean again. "Three days! Three days with no food or water and no bathroom except the chair where you left me!" He continued to hit Dean until darkness claimed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi punched the punching bag over and over. The tears flowing freely down her face. She should have been alert, she should have heard or sensed Dean getting off the bed, she should know better than to feel safe anywhere. Even at home.

They had no idea where Dean was or where to start looking. His phone tucked in the back pocket of her jeans was useless. She hated feeling so helpless. Dean was hurt and she had no idea how badly or how much of a grudge Walker was carrying. It was huge since he had somehow followed them to Texas. Which meant he had somehow figured out where they were staying. She hit the bag harder. How the hell had he gotten the upper hand on them?

Her breaking down wasn't helping anyone, especially not Dean. She cracked her neck and steadied herself. She gave the bag three consecutive spinning kicks.

The chains holding the bag groaned in protest.

They had to figure out how to find Dean and fast because she knew damn well that Walker hadn't taken her husband so they could have a cup of tea and talk about the weather.

She kicked the bag twice more with everything she had. She stared at the bag with little emotion seeing it now ripped and lopsided. She wondered if Walker had a clue of how well and truly he had fucked himself. He had started a war after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jade watched her sister murder the punching bag and her husband pacing a rut into the backyard.

She was frustrated as well not knowing who to comfort first. She loved Dean too, after all he was her brother in law and he had been a part of her entire life.

They just needed a clue to where to start looking. To find out how Walker had been able to follow them to Texas.

Mary and John were arguing one second and putting their heads together the next. Her parents were calling everyone that could maybe give them a fresh outlook. Bobby and Ellen were trying to find a location spell that didn't involve a witch or a sacrifice. Johnny and Jo were hacking into every street cam in the area. Even Ash was there doing a computer search for anything and everything that might be helpful.

Jade sighed. Walker was holding a huge grudge, one big enough that killing them all didn't seem to bother him. So what would he do to Dean?

The thought made her insides lurch. He could have taken them all out if hadn't been so single minded on Dean.

Yeah, they needed to find Dean yesterday. She headed to help Ash.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stopped pacing. He was so mad he couldn't see straight and that wasn't helping his brother one bit.

It had been five hours since Dean had gone missing, five hours that only God knew what Walker was doing to his brother.

"So how about a clue?" Sam asked the sky.

"Sam, Ash found something." Jade said.

Sam rushed over to where Ash was sitting with his special laptop and everyone else gathered around.

"I decided to check out all the places that I could pinpoint that Gordon had been in the past couple of months. Everything was pretty normal but suddenly I saw the pattern." Ash said seriously.

"What pattern?" Everyone asked.

"Everywhere he was there was a bevy of demon activity."

"So what are you saying, Ash?" Mary pushed.

"Well it can't be a coincidence. I think Gordon got a demon to help him. How else could he have gained the upper hand?"

"How does that help us find Dean?"

"If we find the demon..."

"That will take days, weeks even, Dean has three days tops."

"Why three days?"

"Because that's how long Walker was tied up before he was found. Dean has three days before... " Arandi couldn't finish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke up choking he tried to struggle but he couldn't. Walker was holding his head back hard and pouring saltwater down his throat. Dean coughed and gasped, the salt burning the cuts on his lips and inside his mouth. He couldn't breathe.

He sputtered and tried to suck in air but it was nothing but searing saltwater going down his throat. He was drowning. Walker was fucking insane.

"See I'm being nice, Dean. I'm giving you water so your bladder will be nice and full. You ever had a bladder infection? Burns like hell when you piss, burns like hell when you don't. I got that from trying to hold it in for hours, till I just couldn't. You degraded me!"

Walker finally stopped and Dean coughed and spit up everything that was still in his mouth. He glared at Walker.

"You talk a big game doing this crap when I'm tied up." Dean rasped out.

"You have a way of grinding on my nerves."

"God given talent."

"I doubt God has anything to do with you."

"Well now you're just being mean."

"Just shut up!"

"Or what, Gordon? You gonna kill me? Well stand in fucking line! There are weekly meetings on the corner of 'kiss my fucking ass' boulevard and 'fuck you very much' lane!"

"I'm not going to kill you yet. First you're going to get what you deserve and then Sam is going to stumble on your location thanks to an anonymous tip then they try for the grand rescue and you get to watch them or rather hear them die. This whole place is booby trapped."

Dean stared at him in shock.

"Where's that smart mouth now?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ash did his best to track down the specific demon but to no avail. Like Sam had mentioned it would take a lot longer than three days.

He wanted to help them badly. Dean needed help and all they felt was helpless.

Arandi looked murderous and Sam wasn't exactly looking like he was up for any kind of bullshit. If one thing could be said in all honesty about the Winchesters was that they were as intimidating as hell on a regular basis, down right scary as fuck when they were pissed and off the chart when someone they loved was involved.

He didn't want to be in the shoes of anyone that caused those 'I will end you in the most painful way' looks. Walker truly had no clue who he had fucked with.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean squirmed as much as he could. His bladder was already uncomfortable and his ears wouldn't stop ringing. His stomach ached from the excess salt. Tacky blood made his skin feel tight and itchy around his left eye and near his hairline. Not to mention the way his shirt stuck to his back. Probably a mix of blood and sweat.

Walker was somewhere behind him messing with something. Dean was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

He had to figure something out. If Sam and Arandi and anyone else that tagged along were killed because of Walker... because of him...

He had to think. He was suddenly blinded by bright light and nearly instantly he could feel intense heat burning into his skin.

Walker had just set him up like take out from Wal-Mart under heating lamps.

He lowered his head just to have it severly jerked back up by his chin by Walker.

"Guess what else, Dean. Super hot during the day and freezing at night. Not to mention bugs."

Dean opened his mouth to say something and was cut off as Walker shoved a gag in his mouth violently.

Dean had never gagged Walker but he was pretty sure that would a mute point.

His skin was so hot already, the added intense heat didn't help one bit. But that was what Walker wanted and Dean knew it was only the beginning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone was on the road moments after Jo and Johnny had put together the one vehicle that popped up on the first camara closest to the Winchester and Remington properties and followed it as best they could on other cams. The El Camino's last sighting was heading out of town going west.

It wasn't much but at least they had a direction to start looking.

Everyone in separate vehicles in pairs so they could scan both sides of the road. Ash rode with Arandi as they began the daunting search.

The sun was beginning to set and that was really making them anxious. The hours were slipping away faster than anyone cared to admit.

Ash could tell Arandi was at the end of her rope by the way she gripped the steering wheel of the rented SUV.

He wanted to give her some kind of comfort but came up with nothing that would be suitable. So instead he just kept his eyes focused on everything they passed.

They had all agreed that Walker wouldn't have gone too far out. Super anxious to get things started if he had risked taking Dean from inside the Winchester home. That still left a lot of land to cover.

If they ever needed a miracle, it was now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean tried to suck in his breath but the gag made it so hard. Walker was now pouring bucket after bucket of ice water over him and Dean was shivering hard.

He had no idea how Walker could think what he was doing was the same as what he had gone through.

Dean lost count after fifteen and he wondered just how Walker had gotten a hold of so much ice. Wet ropes and soaked through clothes was so uncomfortable.

Finally it ended and Walker, bleary eyed and looking smug sat across from Dean.

Dean couldn't stop trembling and the ropes felt tighter. His stomach growled and flipped at the same time when Walker pulled out a deli sandwich and started eating it with gusto.

"This is pretty damn good for a side of the road truck buy." Walker said as he took another bite.

Dean didn't flinch or make a sound. Walker had just given him a clue to at least the direction he had brought Dean. There was only one deli sandwich truck within twenty miles of home. Dean knew because their sandwiches were amazing. And they always parked in the same place.

He had no idea what good it did him to know since he had no way of getting the information to anyone. He didn't want anyone coming for him either unless he could warn them about the traps.

He wouldn't give Walker the satisfaction of knowing how frustrated he was. Then he remembered the connection he and Sam had had a while back and wondered if he could do it.

Walker continued to eat and drink a soda. Dean was hungry, very hungry but at the same time his stomach was waging a small coup with the ingredients it had been dealt. He concentrated as hard as he could without showing too much. 'Sammy'? He thought. His head started to pound. Well pound harder anyway

Then Walker was in his face and slapped him hard enough to make his head snap.

"You don't get to sleep either but I will. See this?" Walker placed a band around Dean's neck. "Everytime your head lolls in any direction..." Walker shoved Dean's head forward and he gritted his teeth on the gag as a current zapped through him. Nothing strong enough to kill him but damn well intense enough to keep him awake especially with the added wetness.

Dean glared at Walker. Walker stared into his eyes.

"I was coming for your brother anyway you know. I heard some juicy things about him and well why take any chances."

Dean looked at him quizically.

"He's in line for some evil shit and I can't have that, get him off the map before he can do any damage."

'The nerve of this mother...' Dean thought.

Walker shoved Dean's head again and Dean tightened up giving a small gasp. His head hurt enough already and Walker holding his head down was making his eyes cross. He felt the prick of needle in his neck.

He was so killing the bastard.

Neither of them noticed when three of the windows cracked down the middle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, pull over and I'll get us some dinner." Ash offered as he motioned to the deli sandwich truck as they passed for the third time.

"I'm not hungry." Arandi replied.

"Well you need to eat because you're not going to help Dean at all by passing out and I would prefer to live a little longer if he finds out I was with you and didn't get you to eat."

Arandi gave him crooked smile. Knowing Ash was right. Dean would be pissed if he found out she had gone all day without eating.

"Fine but make it quick. We are burning daylight." She said as she pulled in close to the deli truck. She remembered how Dean had adored the Reuben that they served and well just about everything else on the menu.

She got out with Ash to stretch her legs while he ordered.

"Surprise me." She said just as Ash was about to ask.

He walked over to order and Arandi's phone rang. She didn't bother with the caller ID since she was sure it was one of the others . She was about to say hello but a frantic female voice came over the line.

"Arandi, Arandi!"

"Ava? What's wrong?"

"I had another vision. You all died again trying to save Dean but you have to know the place is booby trapped to overkill."

Arandi pushed away from the SUV. "Please tell me you have an address?"

"Um yeah I do."

Arandi could have done a cartwheel. "Well, spill."

"Just GPS my phone because I'm just down the road from where Dean is being held."

"You're what? Why didn't you call earlier?"

"I don't know how I got here. I had the vision and when I came around I was parked here like literally five minutes ago. Which really should have freaked me out because it is like a five hour drive that I don't remember. I realized soon enough, after a short walk, where I was."

Arandi was in the SUV ready to leave without Ash if she had to but she calmed herself down, she had to call Sam and GPS the call. She took another calming breath and motioned frantically for Ash. He had the food and rushed over.

"Ava, I'm passing the phone to Ash. He's a family friend stay on the line until he gets your location. Stay out of sight." She passed the phone to Ash and motioned for his.

She dialed Sam's number and told him everything in one breath before he could even say hello.

"Well I'll be a two headed jackass." Ash muttered.

Arandi eyed him.

"It's up the road and I mean up the road like four miles." He pointed to the road going up behind the deli truck.

Arandi's heart sped up as she relayed the news to Sam. She could hear Jade in the background calling everyone else.

Dean was within reach and for the sake of sanity he had better be in one piece.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meeting up at they deli truck and finding out from the owner that a gold El Camino had not only driven by but also the driver had stopped to buy a couple of sandwiches and drinks. While another man 'slept' in the passenger seat. He also bought every bag of ice they had available.

Arandi cringed at the thought of what Walker wanted with that much ice.

They drove in a small convoy the four miles up the road not daring to speed for fear of somehow alerting Walker. They were all anxious and in a hurry to rescue Dean but they had to be smart, especially now that they knew the place was booby trapped.

As they made their way slowly up the road, they passed a few houses. None too close together. Some long ago abandoned and dilapidated.

Walker had to have done some fast planning after failing to take them out before hand. The four mile drive seemed to take forever before they finally spotted Ava's blue VW Bug half way hidden behind a house about to fall over.

They each parked in places they would not be spotted in case Walker left for any reason. The sun had long ago faded so for once darkness was on their side.

Ava was out of her car pacing in a tight panicked square muttering to herself. Her eyes were wide and shiny with fear.

Arandi and Sam exchanged glances, they had to calm her down fast and get the story straight. They had little time to pull their shit together before Walker realized that he had been compromised.

Arandi walked up to Ava and after brief introductions, took both her shoulders in her hands. "Ava, everything is about saving Dean right now, the rest has to go on a backburner alright?"

"Yeah, got it save Dean first." She said, her voice cracking. She handed Sam a crumpled paper. "The booby traps I was able to see."

"Nice drawing."

Ava nodded. "I'm a secretary at an advertisement agency. Well at least I was."

"Okay, let's pull this together."

"Last house on the left." Ava said a bit historically. "Anyone find the irony in that?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was under the heating lamps again and zap collar or not he was fading fast. Whatever Walker had injected him with was making his head swim and feel as if small things were crawling all over him, poking at him.

Even though Walker had mentioned sleeping, he had yet to even attempt doing so as the light had faded outside.

Dean's head lolled and the current zapped through him again. He was drugged and feeling worse by the second.

"Dean?"

He lifted his head, eyes as wide as he could manage under the circumstances. Walker was standing by one of the boarded up windows peering through a peep hole. But it hadn't been his voice that Dean had heard.

He wasn't so sure he liked breaking in under a day.

"Dean?" He heard again. He listened.

"How the fuck did they find us so fast?" Walker said angrily as he rushed around the room getting his weapons. He walked up to Dean and grabbed his face hard. "Doesn't matter. So they die a bit earlier than planned."

Dean's heart was beating so hard it actually hurt. He glared at Walker even as his mind screamed 'no' over and over.

The old house shook with an explosion. There was a startled shout of pain, footfalls, followed by another explosion. Dust and debris puffed into the room where Dean watched Walker laugh as he screamed against the gag, hot tears spilling over his face.

It could be Sam, Arandi, Jade, or all of them and Dean couldn't handle it. Something inside him snapped. Everything became eerily quiet. Walker looked around confused for a moment and then the heating lamps exploded, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Tiny cuts appeared randomly over Walkers exposed skin. His eyes widened and he took a couple of steps back and aimed the gun at Dean's head.

Dean was shaking hard. His eyes bright and unnatural. Rage like nothing Walker had ever witnessed. Even tied up he was suddenly terrified of Dean Winchester.

He was about to pull the trigger when the gun flew out of his hand. Kicked away by Arandi.

He swept her legs out from under her and she fell onto the mess of glass. Before either of them could make another move Dean yanked his arms up, the veins straining on his entire exposed skin. The ropes came away as if they had been cut by giant invisible, sharp as hell scissors.

The ropes around his legs did the same and then Dean was standing, not like someone who was suffering any ill effects for what he had been through, but like someone on a mission and dosed to the gills on steroids and Red Bull. He ripped the collar off like paper followed by the gag.

In a breath, he had Walker by the throat slammed against a wall cracking the old wood, nearly off his feet.

"Looks like you were worried about the wrong brother." Dean growled. Walker slid up the wall choking, completely off the floor. "You do this to my brother, my wife, my family? I'll kill you!"

"Dean! We're fine. We're all fine. We had heads up on the traps." Sam appeared from another doorway. Moving towards his brother slowly, trying to calm him down. A flash of what Dean had done to a Bender filtered through Sam's mind. Walker deserved to be punished but he was still human and having his throat ripped out violently wasn't a good idea with everyone else there.

The brief distraction was enough for Walker to push off the wall with his elbows with all his strength sending himself and Dean crashing to the floor. He rolled fast and hard trying to get to his gun but if he had thought Dean was strong after all he had endured, getting tackled by a six foot five protective little brother under no influence except fury, was brain jarring.

Not to mention getting pinned to the floor by said brother and getting pummeled by the sledgehammers he called fists. He blocked what he could until his vision hedged out.

Then John Winchester was filling the doorway. "We got to move now!" He hissed, both he and Sam helping Dean to his feet, heading out the safest way. Arandi at their heels but not before she kicked Walker in the ribs as hard as she could.

"Stay the fuck away from us or so help me..." She growled.

Dean's groggy mind cleared for a moment and with new found determination he yanked the gun from the back of Sam's jeans and headed back to Walker. He aimed the gun at Walker's head but Jonh grabbed the gun away.

"Not now, son."

"He's not going to stop." Dean rasped.

"I know but next time... alright...we gotta go."

Dean had no clue what the rush was but he felt himself fading so he caved. Allowed himself to be half carried half dragged between his father and brother with Arandi now leading the way.

They had barely cleared the outer door to the back of the old house and Walker was right behind them, a gun in each hand, firing like a mad man.

Dean was sure one of them was going to be hit and wasn't entirely sure why noone was firing back. They dove behind some bushes and then like a switch, sirens loud and bright spotlights were on Walker. Police officers tumbled from cruisers, weapons drawn yelling for him to drop his weapons, to get on his knees and to put his hands where they could see them.

The Winchester's were up, moving swiftly and quietly away but not before Dean could see the grim set of Walker's jaw as he glared in their direction. He could have easily made a fuss and probably get them noticed but Dean knew the wheels were already in motion for the next time they crossed paths. He knew it as sure as he knew his name because his wheels were spinning too even though knowing his name wasn't entirely guaranteed to last much longer.

"We have time." Sam whispered. "Ava is pretty sure he killed a couple of psychics and equally sure he didn't dispose of the murder weapon."

Dean would have chuckled if he could. The anonymous caller having so astutely been reversed on Walker. And what was that about Ava?

He would have asked out loud but that was the moment he forgot his name and his body said uncle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arandi ran her fingers through Dean's hair, where his head rested on her lap, as best she could considered it was matted with dry blood.

They were in the back seat of the SUV where Sam had carefully deposited his unconscious brother. His body had given in finally to everything he had endured.

Frankly, Arandi was very surprised, although grateful, that Dean had been conscious when she had finally reached him. She shuddered at how if she had been even just one second slower Walker would have shot her husband in the head.

Part of her was almost sure that the bullet would have curved the way Dean had reacted to thinking Walker had killed any of his rescuers.

The way the ropes had practically disintegrated from Dean's arm and legs. The speed and strength he had managed when his entire body should have been numb from how he had been tied up and tortured.

It had been only the beginning. Arandi had seen many a torture device lying around when she had scanned the room including the discarded syringe of who knew what.

Dean had been gone just under twenty four hours and so much had been done to him. Even unconscious small shivers passed through his body. His face and arms partially reddened like too much sun, mixed with the black and blue bruising. His lips parched. Tiny cuts from the glass all over the floor. Once again the ominous broken glass. Some of which was stuck to the back of her arm, back, and in her hair.

They were heading back home on a long back road not daring to risk the chance of being pulled over by the police heading to investigate the scene. Any evidence that might put Dean at the scene would do a vanishing act via Bobby and/or Johnny who were already on the job as agents.

Even if Walker told the complete truth noone would believe him.

Dean moaned and began to swallow convulsively. Arandi knew what followed.

"Stop the car, Sam!"

Sam pulled over as best as he could and rushed around to open the door just as Dean's eye flew open and he struggled to sit up. Arandi pushed him up as Sam pulled and they both hit their knees. Dean threw up so hard it sprayed violently for feet in front him. Sam and Arandi doing their best to keep him upright.

Dean felt as if his entire insides were on fire and for just a moment he thought Walker was still torturing him. He was ready to fight but then he heard Arandi trying to soothe him while a huge hand ran up and down his back. He was safe if there was such a thing but for the next few minutes the excorsist had nothing on him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Arandi exchanged worried glances. Dean just kept throwing up with such force they feared something was going to break or bust.

Even Jade was asking if they needed to just take the chance and call 911.

Finally it began to die down and Dean tried to breathe. They gave him a minute and helped him to his feet. He made a valiant effort to stand on his own but his legs weren't getting the message. Jade passed Arandi a bottle of water and she helped him rinse his mouth. He tried to speak but a sad croak was all that he could manage.

Arandi hated any reminder of when Dean had lost his voice completely and nearly died. They pulled him back towards the SUV but Dean was having none of it. He looked desperately at Arandi, eyes pleading. Finally he signed the letter 'p'.

Arandi got it. "Oh Baby, I'm so sorry. Your bladder must be about to burst."

Dean nodded slowly his eyes hooded.

Sam backed away to the front of the vehicle with Jade while Arandi led Dean to the back.

Sam took the moment to call his mom to let her know what was going on so they wouldn't panic since they had decided the convoy might raise suspicion. He couldn't help but wonder how his brother hadn't lost control of his bladder when he had been throwing up.

He winced as he heard the stream go on and on. Dean making quiet sounds of pain and relief. Suddenly Sam needed to piss so badly so he moved behind a tree and did his business.

Dean sighed with relief as his bladder emptied painfully. It was pain he could take because it had taken every ounce of will power to his core to keep from wetting himself when he had been throwing up. He hated that even with his bladder empty he still felt as if he had to go. He nearly hit his knees again when the cramping took him by surprise.

He let out a small whimpered gasp; leaning heavily against the SUV. Arandi beside him. The concern and love on her face made him ache with the realization that he had almost lost her again. Sam, Jade, his dad too soon. He felt sick but bit it back. He couldn't handle that shit again.

Being typical Dean he turned further towards Arandi and cupped her face with a trembling hand. "Are you ok?" Now sounding as if he was gargling gravel.

Arandi tried her best not to look exasperated. "I'm fine, now can we get you home?"

Dean looked towards Sam and Jade.

"We're fine too now let's go." Sam replied before Dean could do more damage to his voice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were back a the house in a matter of minutes. Arandi had filled in the gaps about Ava. Dean beyond grateful for the vision that had led her to find him. Mary and the others had been home for awhile getting things ready for Dean.

Dean wanted nothing more than to go to bed but he knew that wasn't happening right away. He had to get checked out, take a shower, eat something light, make sure Arandi ate because he had noticed how pale she had looked, then be expected to tell the tale.

He really didn't want to think about it but he'd be damned to let anyone think that Walker had affected him adversely. He was being as stoic as he could but whatever he'd been injected with wasn't done with him yet. In other words he was tripping balls but still in enough control to know he was drugged. He fought the urge to claw at his skin and was pretty sure that the ringing in his ears was going to be permanent.

"Dean says he loves you all and will do what needs to be done but he really wants to wash this nightmare out of his hair." Arandi said as sweetly as she could while somehow drawing blood from Dean with him hardly noticing. She passed the vials off to Sam.

If there was a possible way to love Arandi more Dean would be miles ahead. And like he was fond of saying 'so in love we finish each others threats.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stripped down in the shower, he fought off a panic attack. No way in the Bermuda way to hell was he letting Walker have that over him. He told himself it was the injection and sucked it up.

He leaned on trembling arms as Arandi washed him from head to toe front and back, rinse and repeat. Red water swirling into pink, then finally clear. Everything stung, everything burned but he just stood there and let her take care of him. He didn't realize that he was crying until Arandi pulled him close.

It had nothing to do with Walker but everything to do with that fifteen seconds that he allowed himself to believe that he had lost everyone that meant anything to him. He hated himself for allowing that weakness to show itself. Everyone was fine. Well at least they would be once he got all the glass out of Arandi's hair and the few that had embedded into her skin.

Arandi let him because for Dean it was already the start of his healing process. Dean wasn't Dean unless he was taking care of someone else.

Dean bit back the panic that threatened to overtake him again. He stared at his hands covered in blood and Arandi's lifeless body in front of him. He blinked hard, swallowing the scream at the edge of his throat and Arandi's hands cupping his face putting their foreheads together.

"Whatever you're seeing, Baby, it's not real." She coaxed him back. "Breathe, just breathe." She cried with him.

He nodded even as her life's blood swirled down the drain so very vividly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had only been an hour but for Arandi it felt like days watching Dean come and go in his own mind. Everything as huge as seeing her dead to a bottle of nail polish growing horns and tail and dancing around trying to take Dean's soul.

She wasn't sure how Dean was keeping it together probably had a lot to do with herself and she could see how that would come off as conceded if said out loud.

She kept Dean grounded, the same way that he did her. She knew his heartache even though everyone was fine whatever he had been injected with was making him think otherwise. She knew she had to get him downstairs when he started asking for Sam repeatedly.

His pupils were blown wide and she had to keep pulling his hands away from scratching his skin too hard. She quickly smoothed healing lotion over his body and got them both dressed in comfortable clothes.

They headed downstairs after Dean used the bathroom for the third time.

Every step down was a process because Dean's depth perception was so very off but the second he spotted Sam he was off taking the chance at face planting. He needed to feel Sam as much as he had needed to feel Arandi.

They hugged for a bit while Arandi explained some of what had happened upstairs.

"He was dosed with DMT. A very strong hallucinogenic which should have him balled up in a corner but this is Dean we're talking about." Bobby said since he had had the blood samples expedited by a friend who worked nights at a hospital lab. "It's going to take awhile to wear off cuz Walker wasn't stingy with the dose."

Arandi was about to respond but Ava and Ash came through the front door. Ava had been asked to spend the night so Ash had taken her to pick up some things from a store.

Ava seeing Dean standing and seeming to be alright was overwhelmed. She rushed to him and hugged him.

Dean gasped loudly and Ava whimpered. They both started to fall but were caught. Dean by John and Ava by Bobby. Ava's eyes wide and unfocused while Dean's were squeezed shut.

They both thrashed a couple of times and then went eerily still. Arandi couldn't help but feel for Dean's pulse as she kneeled beside him and was surprised at how cold he felt. He was alive and no one had a clue as to what the hell was going on or what to do next.

Arandi fell to her ass as Dean suddenly arched up hard, bones cracking in protest and he began to mumble incessantly and twisting. He arched again and screamed in a way that could not be mistaken for anything else but grief.

True panic set in when the blood started pouring from Dean as if he had been split open.

And once again all hell broke loose.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

Thanks for reading!


	62. ON AND ON

ON AND ON

Dean looked around himself frantically, he had just been in his parent's living room and now he was in the woods. Pretty sure he was still tripping balls because everything was in vibrant technicolor.

"Holy crap!" Ava made him startle. "I've never shared a vision before. I felt myself in them but have never seen myself in one." She said as she stared at her hands.

"How do you know it's a vision?"

"Unless a forest suddenly sprouted in your house, this is a vision."

She had a point but still, sharing a vision with his brother was one thing but sharing one with a woman he barely knew, that was a whole new link on the crazy chain. And actually being it the vision as a spectator well add another link for good measure.

Everything was full crisp color and he could even feel the drizzle that was falling. Every sound loud and clear.

He startled again when Ava touched his shoulder and she motioned in front of them.

He saw himself walking down a dirt road shotgun in hand. He was flanked by Johnny and Bobby. A true look of determination on his face. A look he knew too well. That 'I got to save Sammy' look.

He moved to follow his vision self and stopped.

His heart hammering at what he was seeing. Sam was down the road fighting. Knock down, drag out fight. He could hear the punches connecting so solidly he could just about feel the bruises forming.

"In all the visions that I've had no one can see or hear me." Ava said as she watched the scene unfold before them. She had tried for the longest time. Every vision she had ever had involved death so she knew this one would be no different. Even though so much else was.

Dean opened his mouth to reply but stopped. Dread was thick in the air. Something very bad was about to happen. He felt it to his core. It was about Sam, all about Sammy. He quickly scanned his surroundings, trying to memorize everything that he could.

Dean watched his vision self see Sam and the relief etched on his face at spotting Sam even though Sam was fighting. That look told him that Sam had to have been missing.

Dean moved forward to get a better view and for just a moment he thought Sam was fighting Walker but as he got closer he could see it was another man.

Sam was no small man and even though he had never taken to the intense training their dad had forced on them he was a natural when he was pissed and at the moment Sam looked like a raging bull. His strength shining when he hit the man hard enough to lift him in the air and sent him crashing through a fence.

Dean swelled with pride but then Sam did the one thing they had been taught from birth to never do.

Dean started yelling and running, trying to warn his little brother even though Ava had told him no one could see or hear him.

Sam turned his back on the enemy when he caught sight of vision Dean his face filling with relief.

Both Deans caught on at the same time. "Sam!" They both yelled.

It was too late.

The other man shoved a large knife into Sam's back with so much violence the sound of ripping flesh and the instant staggering stench of blood filled the night.

Both Deans reached Sam as he crumpled to his knees. Vision Dean caught his brother and Dean fell too the thought that this was a possible future for Sam making him sick.

The man took off running with Johnny and Bobby at his heels. Dean would never forget his face.

Dean wanted to help but was beyond helpless. In his mind he knew it was just a vision but his heart shattered just as badly as his vision self who hugged Sam desperately telling his pain the ass little brother that was supposed to take care of him. His hands covered in Sam's blood that he desperately tried to wipe away on his own shirt.

Dean reached out but his hand just passed through but somehow he felt Sam's pain. At least he thought that he could.

Both Deans felt the moment that Sam slipped away. Dean felt an agonizing pain cut through him straight to the center of his being. The mantra of 'no, no, no' pouring from him.

Both Deans screamed out Sam's name in utter soul crushing mournful sorrow.

In the background Ava cried and everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Ava sat up gasping causing everyone in the room to jump, stumble, or nearly fall. It had been only minutes since they had collapsed so no one had really had the chance to really react but Jade had not let Sam touch either of the fallen.

Sam had looked at her as if she lost her mind but seeing her eyes he could read everything. It didn't take a genius to figure out Dean and Ava were sharing a vision and Jade wanted to have a bit more information before letting Sam find out if he could join too.

Arandi was at Dean's side on her knees lifting his shirt needing to be sure he wasn't bleeding out. She felt better just taking it off and tossing it to Bobby. She knew he would find a way to find out whose blood it was if not Dean's.

Sam helped Dean stand and Dean looked around looking at everyones face. It was easy to tell that he was still under the influence of the hallucinogenic. When he finally locked eyes with Sam he murmured his name and touched his face as if making sure that he was real.

Another no genius moment to know Dean had seen Sam die.

"Sammy, Sammy." Dean whispered and pulled Sam into a clumsy hug.

"What did you see?" John demanded of Ava as Mary helped her up.

Mary glared at him and he backed down. Since he had never had the pleasure of having visions he had no clue how draining they could be.

Ava looked about to pass out from not only this vision but the entirety that had been her day and she hadn't even been tortured so she really felt for Dean. "This is one that Dean should tell if he wants." She said before Jo and Ash led her to the guest room. She stopped at the top of the staircase. "They don't all come true especially if we start changing things now."

John looked at his oldest son and knew he was not only outnumbered by the glares coming his way but also he didn't feel like sleeping on the sofa or in the tree house.

No matter how important it was it was going to wait. He sighed. Once upon a time he had felt in charge of everything, now he was lucky if he got to choose his damn underwear.

Dean looked totally frazzled. Torn between face planting or spinning away wildly like a runaway top. But in a second of coherency he managed his own glare.

Not that Dean was the only frazzled one. Everyone else was either going to find a reason to stay up all night or sleep for days. John suddenly remembered a garage that needed sorting. He was off and gone.

Dean's attention finally wandered away from Sam. The house plant his mom kept on the bar had suddenly grown teeth and was presently growling at him. He wasn't afraid of it. He was more afraid of what his mother would do to him if he crushed her favorite plant.

"You're seeing things, baby. Got to get you cleaned up again." Arandi sighed wiping tear tracks from Dean's face with her thumbs.

He cupped her face lovingly, fresh tears springing into his eyes. "I love you so much."

Arandi felt a little breathless at Dean's declaration. So simple, open, and honest yet profound in many ways. Her throat ached with the emotions threatening to spill over. "Yeah, I love you so much too, Babe."

Dean gave her a crooked smile lowering his head almost shyly. It reminded Arandi of when they were young and barely figuring out what 'I love you' really meant. They weren't just words but a cascade of emotions that came with them.

Arandi took his hand and started for the stairs. She stopped before going up. "I know everybody is dying to know everything but he really needs to come down from the high he is on before he spills."

Everyone still left in the living room nodded.

"I'll make some food." Mary offered. She was off into the kitchen with Beth at her heels.

Just the thought of food made Arandi's stomach grumble. She never had gotten around to eating the sandwich Ash had gotten for her. She was literally on her last leg.

Leave it to Dean, who had been whispering animatedly with the banister, to be alert enough to notice that and go full on giant toddler on her and refuse to go upstairs until she ate. He led her to the kitchen even though he had to stop every few steps to make sure that a hole hadn't appeared in the floor or that a waterfall of blood wasn't currently pouring down the walls.

Once in the kitchen he made her sit and grabbed two bowls and a box of corn flakes. He stopped in front of the refrigerator and stared at it. Arandi didn't even want to imagine what he was seeing.

He wasn't one to run from anything except demons putting shit in his head. He valiantly inched forward, he had taken on living appliances before, right. No wait, that was Maximum Overdrive or the Brave Little Toaster, Pulse, Runaway or whatever. He lived in a time where appliances only got possessed not that that was any better. Holy water! He needed some holy water.

A gallon of milk was thrust into his hands by Mary who couldn't handle another second of seeing her intrepid son looking like he was planning on demolishing her kitchen. She didn't give a rats putooty about the kitchen, she'd been dying to remodel for years. It was how her son would feel afterwards that bothered her.

"Holy milk?" Dean asked, wide eyed.

"Sure, baby, holy milk. It's all the rage. Now sit and drown those evil corn flakes."

Dean obeyed and sat. With the most intense concentration, his tongue peaking out of the corner of the left side of his mouth, he fixed two bowls of cereal. He pushed one in front of Arandi where he sat across from her and looked at her expectantly.

Arandi smiled at him. Her heart swelling. After everything he'd been through and even drugged, he sought to make her happy. How could she not love him more everyday? Granted it drove her nuts sometimes but Dean was Dean and it would always be his nature.

She began to eat but Dean only stared into his bowl. Her stomach grateful for the little boost, she nearly sighed in pleasure.

"Dean, why aren't you eating?"

"They're drowning." He replied barely above a whisper.

She didn't dare ask who or what but her cereal didn't seem so yummy anymore and Dean needed to eat something. "They're just cereal I promise."

He gave her another crooked smile and began to eat. She felt another tug of emotion at the fact that Dean trusted her so explicitly though his mind was working against him at the moment.

It hit her then, why was Dean only seeing bad things? Why wasn't he seeing unicorns and kittens? Was his mind really always thinking on the dark side?

They ate while Mary and Beth cooked.

Dean's eyes widened and he threw his spoon on the table and got up and rushed out of the room and Arandi followed closely. He made his way up the stairs as fast as he could under the circumstances and proceeded to barge into Sam's room.

Jade gave a little yelp of surprise and Sam stood up from where he had been on his laptop.

"Dean, what is it?

Dean didn't reply. He pushed past Sam and grabbed Sam's duffle bag. He dumped it on the bed and rummaged through the clothes. He grabbed a white button up shirt with grey lines and a tan jacket and grabbed Sam's large knife and before anyone could try to stop him he sliced both up. He cut his left hand in the process but didn't stop until there was nothing but strips left. Mumbling to himself the whole time.

Blood dripping from his hand as he moved out the door, everyone in tow, he did the same in his room to a grey Henley, a black and purple flannel, and a blue jacket.

"Gotta start changing things." Dean mumbled.

Sam remembered what Ava had said and figured Dean was even going to change the basics of even the clothes they had been wearing in the vision. Noticing also that none of their wive's clothes had been touched so they hadn't been in the vision.

Sam was about to risk asking his brother a question but Dean moaned and grabbed his head smearing blood from his cut hand over his face.

"Dean?" Both Arandi and Sam asked.

Dean stumbled back making a sound that was half whimper half growl. Blood from his nose joining the blood from his hand on the floor.

"Enough already!" Sam snapped at nobody in particular.

With that Dean fell and Sam caught him before he could hurt himself more. Sam laid him out on the bed and quickly made sure that he was breathing fine. Dean's heart rate was a little fast and he was running a slight fever but everything else was as normal as it could be for an injured Dean.

"I think he finally crashed." Sam sighed in relief.

"Let's hope so." Arandi replied tiredly.

Together they got Dean cleaned up and under a comforter in his boxers.

Arandi climbed in beside him, exhausted beyond means. She was going to sleep as much as possible before Dean woke from a nightmare or she had to wake him from one. She knew it was coming from the way his eyes moved under his eyelids.

Sam gave her a comforting look and her sister hugged her. They didn't have to say the words. Everybody was going to be on high alert for awhile.

Sam and Jade headed to their own room and Arandi was out before the door finished closing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It really wasn't fair that you couldn't pick and choose what you dreamed. It was for sure something that would make life a little less stressful.

Having a vision of one of the most awful things you could possibly imagine was bad enough, reliving it in your dreams was just so many levels of what the fuck. Especially when it played in a loop. Dean was tough and had a high tolerance for pain but Sam dying in his arms was just too much to be expected to endure. He was going to stop the vision from happening come hell or high water or anything else that tried to get in his way.

"Dean?"

There was that voice again. It had to be the drug.

"Dean?"

Different voice this time and a touch. He forced his eyes open.

Mary loomed over him looking at him worriedly.

From the light in the room Dean could tell the sun was going down. It had been dark when he had arrived back at the house so a whole day had gone by.

"It's been two days, sweetheart." Mary said with a deep sigh as she touched the back of her hand to his forehead. He'd either said it out loud or she could read his mind.

He tried to speak but only managed a croak.

"I know you're still tired and I promise once you eat and hydrate you can sleep another day."

Dean was having none of it. He was rolling on his side and going back to sleep even though every part of his body ached. Then his mother went and played dirty.

"You want to be grumpy you go right ahead but if Arandi doesn't eat something ..."

Dean never really used his glares on Mary. She had invented them after all. He liked believing that he had perfected them.

"Don't give me the face."

"There is no face." He rasped in gravely tone as he did his best not to glare.

"That's the face." Mary huffed.

"Give us a bit to freshen up and we'll be down. Is Ava still here?"

"Don't think she's going anywhere for awhile." She said as she left the room.

From his mother's tone he could tell something else had happened while they slept. Nothing serious enough to merit waking them but serious none the less.

"I forgot how good your mom is." Arandi snickered beside him.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Dean responded as he sat up slowly. He groaned loudly as every ache and pain came to vigorous life. The room did it's impression of a tilt a whirl and if he had had anything in his stomach he would have done his repeat impression of the exorcist.

Instead he closed his eyes, put his head in his hands, and counted to twenty.

Arandi kneeled behind him rubbing gently on his sore back. He reminded himself in his head that Arandi needed to eat. So he pushed himself to his feet and pulled her with him.

"Let's shower and find out what else happened."

"Dean? Did Sam die in your and Ava's vision?" Arandi asked carefully.

Dean didn't look at her. He nodded as he pursed his lips seeing the scene in his mind. "In my arms."

If anyone knew what that would truly do to him, it was his wife. She hugged him tightly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Freshly showered and changed Dean and Arandi headed downstairs.

Dean knew that everyone was on edge to find out about the vision because if he remembered correctly Ava had left it up to him to tell the tale. He had told Arandi everything as they got ready.

He could easily lie about it or tell the truth, especially to Sam so they could be prepared in every way. The lîes would be easy but the consequences wouldn't.

Everyone was in the dining room with a huge dinner spread before them. It wasn't until the smell of the food got to his nose that Dean realized how hungry he really was.

He pulled out Arandi's chair and sat in his own. He looked around and every eye was on him. He looked down at himself making sure he remembered to put on clothes.

"If everyone would stop staring like I grew an extra head, it would be greatly appreciated."

One by one everyone looked at their plate or at one another. All except John who stared at Dean defiantly and opened his mouth to speak. Mary cleared her throat loudly and John snapped his mouth shut.

"Dinner first." She said as she stared at her husband.

Clearly agitated John gave in.

Dean noticed Ava sitting by Mary and she looked tired and if she had been crying.

Dean was about to ask but he to was cut off by his mom.

So they ate with mostly typical dinner talk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

O.O^o^^3^X_X~_~^_^U_U

When they were finally allowed to bring up the real subjects everyone wanted to talk about, everybody started to speak at once but Dean wanted to know what was wrong with Ava.

"I was supposed to have dinner with my fiancé and his parents that night I showed up here. I called him to tell him more or less what happened and he started yelling at me, accused me of cheating on him." Ava sniffled. "I've missed more than one date but this was so important. He thinks I just blew it off. I tried to explain but I just made things worse. How do I make him understand when I don't understand and I'm living it? He tolerated my nightmares but this..."

"I'm really sorry, Ava." Sam spoke up. He felt bad for her. He had people who understood all around him, she wasn't that lucky.

"It's not your fault, Sam. You're just so damn lucky no thinks you're a freak."

"He's a freak alright but he's our little giant freak." Dean chuckled.

Sam's dimples bloomed. He was so thrilled to see Dean nearly back to normal. Although knowing his brother as well as he did, he knew Dean was covering but that was to be expected and pure Dean.

"Truth be told, we all have a little freak in all us."

"Wait until you meet Rufus, he'll make you feel so normal." Dean added, he really hoped he was conveying that Ava was welcome as long as she needed. He knew his mom didn't mind and knew what he had sensed earlier was Mary's annoyance of how Ava was being treated by her now ex fiancé.

"So I can join your freak show?"

"We just happen to be hiring but the pay sucks."

"I thought I knew him, you know?"

"We have more important fish to fry." John interrupted.

"For the love of God, John, can you be anymore of a dick?" Mary snapped.

"I just...well..."

"Yeah, we know." Sam gave Ava a look that begged for her to forgive his father for his rudeness. "So anyway."

Once again all eyes fell on Dean. Arandi took his hand. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and told them what he could.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The room was deathly quiet as Dean finished up. It had taken every ounce of his will power not to break down. He had watched Sam's reaction the entire time as he spoke.

"The blood was Sam's." Bobby finally spoke up. "On the shirt I mean but I don't understand how something that hasn't happened yet could come out of a vision like that. It's not going to happen I know that for certain. Not with all of us having the heads up."

"Damn right it's not going to happen." John stood up. "Sam you know what you have to do."

"If you think I'm staying stuck at home for who knows how long you got another thing coming." Sam stood up as well.

"Didn't you hear a word Dean said?

"Loud and clear and it was all about my life so my decision."

Dean stood up as well, inserting himself in the middle. "As much as I hate it Sam has a point. You know as well as I do, dad that if it were either of us we would not stand down."

Dean was nowhere near the point of dealing with his dad and brother butting heads. He was more than grateful when a loud ringtone sounded.

Ava jumped up. "It's Brady!" She said excitedly. "He wouldn't be calling me if he didn't want to work things out." She left the room to take the call.

Dean, Sam, and John stood regarding one another. John wasn't done arguing, more than sure Mary would back him up on keeping their youngest safe.

He opened his mouth but stopped when he noticed Dean blinking rapidly.

Sam saw it too. "Dean?"

"It's coming." Dean whispered harshly and swayed precariously.

"Wha...?" Sam managed before loud incessant knocking came to the front door. Everyone jumped to their feet just as they were plunged into total darkness.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

I am so behind due to my health and such. So much such! Sorry for the long delay. I really am trying. Not the best chapter but a little something to tide you over for now.


	63. SHINE ON

UnleashYourInnerAssButt your words meant a lot. Thank you very much!

Shorter chapters for a bit might move this along. Maybe?

We were without power for a days due to Hurricane Harvey. It was a crazy week and days leading up to and after. We now have 10 cats and kittens that were left behind. No one has claimed them and we don't want them to die so no animal control. Keeping them all fed has been trying especially since we lost all our food. Just venting. Sorry!

SHINE ON

Everyone was frozen in place for all of five seconds, letting the fearless hunter side take over before everyone was on the move. Flashlights coming out to light the room. Weapons appearing from many hidden spaces. Even Dean pushed aside the confusion and ache in his head to do what he did best.

"I thought you said this place was impenetrable?" John hissed at Bobby.

"From every evil thing we know exists!" Bobby hissed back.

John stared at him.

"Ever dawn on you, princess, we don't know everything evil that exists!"

"Of course that would be the one thing that would come knocking."

"What made you think our luck would change now?" Dean asked.

The banging grew more frantic and the lights flickered back on then instantly off again.

Dean, Arandi, Sam, and Jade worked out a plan with silent communication. One of them would fling open the door the rest of them would do what necessary. They prepared for action but stopped as the lights came back on and a voice loudly called out.

"Dean? Sam? Are you home? Arandi? Jade?"

"Andy?" They all said in unison.

"We taught him how not to get possessed right?" Dean asked Arandi in a loud whisper.

"Yes, we did but if he was possessed he wouldn't be able to get past the front gate."

"Hello! I really need your help!"

John suddenly stiffened up and started walking towards the door as if he was being forced. Which technically he was.

"Get out of my dad's head, Andy!" Dean yelled.

John stopped and his body relaxed but he instantly moved towards the door and threw it open. "Whoever the hell you are, you ever do that again you will regret it for the rest of your very short life!"

Sam got between them and pulled a wide eyed Andy inside.

"This is Andy Gallagher he's like me sort of...you know... special...well we mentioned...him...sort of...um." Sam sputtered.

Andy brushed by them as John closed the door. He paced urgently and waved his hands. "Oh, I'm special alright and I don't think I like it. I started having visions on top of everything else and oh God that's why I'm here! I need your help. I have to save a girl she's got the shining too."

"I taught him that one." Dean interrupted.

"Her boyfriend thinks she's losing it and he puts her in a hospital by force and she gets killed with a medicine no one knew she was allergic to or maybe they did. Not really clear on that. You have to help me find her, she's so beautiful and I have to save her! We need to save her."

Ava rushed into the room. "What just happened?"

Andy stopped moving his mouth agape. "It's you. It's her. Oh you guys are good." He rushed Ava pulling her into a hug.

"Umm, do I know you?" Ava stammered.

Andy pulled back. "No, no you don't but I'm just so glad to see that I'm not too late."

"For what?"

"It would be easier to show you." Andy looked around and stopped on Sam and motioned for him to get closer. "You know how I can control minds except for others like us?

Sam moved closer to Andy. "I can't control you or her, trust me I already tried, but I can do this."

Andy grabbed Sam and Ava's wrists and closed his eyes. Sam's mind suddenly filled with scenes from another place and from the look on Ava's face she was experimenting the same thing. In seconds everything Andy had described as his vision played out down to Ava's death and her fiancé not seeming too broken up about it.

Ava's eyes brimmed with tears. "He just called me so I would go home."

"I'm sorry, Ava. I'm afraid it's a set up." Sam said softly.

"How do you do that? How do say you love someone with all your heart and betray them when you think they're sick?"

"I'm sorry." Andy mumbled sadly.

"Why? You just saved my life."

"You believe me? I mean you just met me and..."

Ava huffed. "If anyone knows the frustration of not being believed you're looking at her."

Andy smiled crookedly. "I don't mind looking, if I'm not being too forward."

"Dude, she just found out the man she loved and was going to marry stuck a huge betrayal knife in her back and gave it dozen twists." Arandi chastised. "She may need a minute, Romeo."

Andy turned beet red. "Yeah, of course, sorry, so sorry."

"What are we going to do?" Jade asked as Mary motioned them back into the dining room.

"First things first." Dean said as he took his seat. "I know your mojo with minds and now visions but what about that light show? And you could've called first."

Andy, who had seated himself next to Ava replied. "That's new too. Anything with an on off switch I can manipulate, sort of, takes a lot of concentration especially if I can't see the switch and works much faster if I'm upset." He smiled and dug in whole heartedly into the plate of food Mary had placed in front and him.

"Sam, have you noticed any changes in your...shining?" John asked.

"Not anything significant. Why?"

"Well, everyone that has these powers seems to be coming into them full force."

"Why is this happening to us?" Ava huffed.

"I think it's time we found out how many with the shining are out there that can be traced back to yellow eyes and how many are not playing nice with others?"

"I'm on it." Ash said as he left the room.

"So the yellow eyes are real? Not just part of my dreams?" Ava asked.

"Our dreams. His name is Azazel and he's the one associated with what is going with our abilities." Sam answered angrily. "Pretty sure he's not working alone."

"So it's safe to assume the yellow eyes have nothing to do with his liver?" Andy asked worriedly.

"He's a demon and very bad news."

"Why didn't you call, Andy?" Dean persisted.

Andy looked nervously around. "I woke up here. On the side of the road right in front of a city limit sign. With no memory of how I got here. That was very new and I just knew how to get to your home from there and that you would be here. I was too panicked to call. Really scared to be alone a moment longer."

Dean nodded and left it alone for the time being. "Okay then. We need to go check on Ava's now ex and make sure he doesn't try anything else and make sure..." Dean stopped and licked his lips. There was no use trying to sugar coat it. "We need to make sure he wasn't possessed." 'Or worse'. He kept to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean blinked tiredly from where he sat behind the wheel of the Impala. Engine running. He stifled a yawn. His mom, Sam, and Arandi had tried to convince him to stay home to rest a few more days but he had been as stubborn as ever. Duty called. It always called. Had them on freaking speed dial. Why couldn't Hawaii call with no strings attached and tray of mojitos?

He was kind of regretting the decision to go even though he was just waiting in the car with Arandi. Fifteen hour drive hadn't helped much. Even after the two days of sleep he wasn't feeling great. Could probably sleep nine days easy.

Who invented the need to sleep anyway? So much more could be accomplished if sleep wasn't required.

"Mad at sleep again?" Arandi asked beside him.

"Slightly peeved." Dean yawned and stretched.

"You're cute when you're peeved."

"Wanna see me full on gorgeous?" He turned to look at her with a cheeky grin.

"Always."

Sam and Jade jumped into the backseat along with Ava and Andy slid in beside Arandi.

Dean stepped on the gas and sped away.

"Well? " He pressed.

"Not possessed. He was a natural born dick." Sam breathed. "Andy shined him and he thinks Ava dumped him because he cheated."

Andy grinned proudly.

"I can't believe I was going to marry that Channing Tatum wannabe." Ava huffed.

"What about everyone who knew they were getting married?"

"He's gonna be a complete train wreck anytime someone brings up Ava." Andy chimed in.

"His family and our friends. They'll assume I left town heartbroken. I have no family left."

"Excuse me, little miss, but you joined our freak show so none of that no family crap." Dean met Ava's eyes in the mirror.

She smiled. Andy cleared his throat loudly.

"We still have an opening for the bearded fat lady." Dean snickered."

"I'll take it! I always wanted to join the circus."

"Careful what you wish for, buddy." Sam huffed. People dying to join while he couldn't wait to bale.

"It's good to be around people I can't control. I feel..." Andy stared out the window. "Why is human the only word that seems right?"

Nobody replied. They just let it hang in the air.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks in the rearview.

With his eyes back on the road, Dean was anxious to get the trip over with find somewhere to spend the night and head back home for a few more days of rest then back to the family business.

They had one more stop to make for Ava. Her job, where Andy would shine her a fabulous last paycheck and gleaming references.

Dean started to drum his fingers on the steering wheel and hummed to himself. He stopped the car at a red light. All the sounds of city life moving around them since they had the windows rolled down.

"Dean?"

He turned to the left to look wondering who knew him. No one was there but the undeniable need to turn left filled him, even though he needed to go straight. Why would he turn? It made no sense yet as soon as the light changed he found himself turning the wheel left.

"What are you doing, Dean?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." Dean replied honestly. He drove intent on turning back the first chance he got. "Something just..." He stopped his mouth dropping slightly open. His skin crawling. His grip on the steering wheel painful.

There on the street corner waiting to cross stood the man from his vision, the man that killed Sam. It was a face that he wouldn't ever forget. Even though he had only seen it for the briefest of moments.

Dean's mind totally occupied gasped in surprise when he slammed into the car in front of him shocking everyone. It was followed quickly by another car ramming into the Impala.

"What the hell, Dean?" Sam yelped.

Dean didn't hear him, he was already out of the car moving like he had just seen a ghost that was about to meet a bitter end. Sam and everyone else scrambled out wondering what the hell was going on.

Dean's focus wasn't on anything near them not even the man screaming at Dean for crashing into him.

Dean moved to find the man from his vision. His blood rushing in his head. The thought that he had brought his brother so close to his killer made his gut twist. Anger and fear shooting through him.

His mind repeating that if he killed the man first Sam would be safe. He stopped walking when he spotted the man across the street half way between crosswalks.

The man was standing still staring back at Dean. Dean moved forward only be stopped by Arandi. Saving him from being hit by a speeding car.

Dean winced and breathed. Who would protect Sammy if he got himself killed for being careless?

Arandi shoved him back further from the curb. "Dean, you're seriously freaking me out right now."

"It's the man that I saw kill Sam." Dean motioned with his head.

Arandi looked at the man, a coldness creeping over her as he stared at them, he didn't even seem to blink. Now all of husband's actions made sense.

He was in the same town and Ava had been meant to die that very day. It couldn't be a coincidence and they needed answers.

Then the man looked towards Sam. Dean's posture changed and any fear he had flew into the blue. The man probably had no clue that he had just signed his own death warrant. Stamped with the 'must protect Sam at all costs' Winchester seal.

A bus zoomed by cutting off their line of sight for no more than a second and he was gone.

They ran across safely but he was nowhere to be found. Dean growled in frustration as he spun in a circle.

Sam, he needed to get back to Sam. He turned to go but stopped as a low persistent whining sound filled his ears. It grew louder and louder. Dean and Arandi covered their ears.

Dean thought his ears were going to to explode. He looked around and he knew what was coming. He looked towards Sam who was looking really confused. He shoved Arandi to the ground and covered her just as all the store front windows exploded out on both sides of the street between the crosswalks. Dean closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do for all the other people on the streets except pray they would at least survive.

Something big hit him across the back of his shoulders and neck and pain sliced through him.

"Dean?" And everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stood by the Impala with Jade watching his brother take off like a mad man after having caused a pile up with Arandi right behind him.

The worst damage was headlights and taillights noone had been going fast enough for worse except the Impala had a dent near the radiator due to a trailer hitch on the SUV Dean had hit.

Andy had already gotten to work changing people's memories of what had happened omitting the Impala and Dean all together. Jade had moved the car.

Andy was good. Scary good and Sam was very glad he was on their side. He remembered Andy's brother though and his bad intent. How many like Andy were out there but like the brother? More over what if there was someone powerful enough to break through the barriers they seemed to possess against others like themselves?

He snapped back to the problem at hand. He needed to find out what the hell had Dean all bent out of shape. He moved to follow his brother. He gasped and cringed as he watched Arandi pull Dean back a second before he would have walked in front of a speeding car.

Something was really off for Dean to not only have caused an accident but also have walked away from his precious car and without checking on everyone's safety. Especially Sam's and nearly getting himself killed.

Sam stopped walking altogether when he heard Ava gasp. He turned back thinking she might have been hurt after all.

He saw Ava staring wide eyed at the same place his brother and Arandi seemed really focused on and suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The feeling of impending doom thick in the air.

"That's... that's...the man...that...oh God..." Ava stammered.

She didn't have to finish. Sam knew just from how Dean was acting. "That's the man you and Dean saw kill me."

Ava nodded slowly.

He felt as if he had been sucked into a vacuum and something inside him seemed to snap into place and a fleeting thought like a memory slipped through his mind.

He stared at the man trying to memorize every aspect. Then he turned and looked straight at Sam, the corner of his lip curling up subtly.

'He knows who I am." Sam thought. He noticed the instant change in Dean. All hell was going to rain down on that man once his brother got a hold of him. They needed answers first so he moved forward and stopped again as a bus cut off his sight for a mere moment.

The man was gone. Sam looked around half expecting for him to be right there but he wasn't. Sam started forward once more as Dean and Arandi crossed the street.

He came to a stop again. A high piercing whine filled the air. The store front windows seemed to be breathing. Dean and Arandi covered their ears. Sam didn't have to have a vision to know what was coming next. The glass was going to blow out impaling his brother and sister in law and the people walking along minding their own business.

He watched as Dean looked straight at him before he shoved Arandi to the ground and got over her.

"No!" Sam yelled and lifted his hand as if he could pluck his loved ones out of the way. The glass exploded.

Sam watched in awe as the glass hovered and spun then fell to the ground harmlessly. All except a large piece hitting Dean along with a store mannequin.

Sam had done it but he had no clue as to how. And where was this shit when they were in danger other times?

All of it had to wait. Dean wasn't moving and they needed to get away before the law arrived. Sam could hear the sirens in the distance.

Andy did his thing while Sam ran and threw Dean into a fireman carry and they were gone before anyone was the wiser.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat stoically and shirtless on the stone picnic table of a deserted rest stop so that Arandi could pull out the glass and stitch him up. Two shirts and a jacket had met their demise but had probably saved him from worse damage.

"Why don't we have visions about shit like that?" Dean had started bitching the moment he woke up. Being KO'd by a dummy, literally, wasn't exactly a confidence builder either.

Dean was doing his damnedest to keep it reined in. He was cold even though the sun was still out. Everything could have ended so badly. He couldn't help but feel as they were being taunted.

He watched three different angles from phones Andy had swiped from people who thought they were witnessing a hit and run and decided to record, until his eyes threatened to cross.

He watched with fascination and a punched gut hollowness that made goose pimples sprout all over his body.

He knew Sam had the shining but seeing the floating glass hovering and Sam's outstretched hand just brought it sliding home and the way Ava and Andy had been at his back. He hated when something was right there but just out of reach.

"I already forwarded all the videos to all our emails. Maybe we'll see something different on a bigger screen?" Sam said hopeful.

Dean nodded, wishing he could shake the feeling of being in the wrong crosshairs. To Andy. "You're sure you Vulcan mind melded everyone?"

"I got it covered, dude. I can pretty much control a couple of hundred people now at the same time without saying a word in seconds." Andy replied proudly.

Dean shuddered. Did Andy even realize how not normal that was? How he would become an instant guinea pig if the wrong people or even the right people caught on?

"Street cams nothing but snow for half an hour." Andy continued.

Dean squinted his eyes suspiciously.

Andy chuckled. "Dude, Helen Keller could read you right now."

Dean stood up as Arandi handed him a shirt and he slipped it on.

"And just so you know I was stronger and faster today. I think being in close proximity to others like me makes me stronger."

"That has to be it!" Sam jumped up excitedly. "Having Ava and Andy close amped my mojo."

"Only one way to find out, Haley Joel." Dean groused.

Sam smiled. He already knew what he wanted to do. He lifted his hand. For several seconds nothing happened. Ava and Andy moved closer similar to how they had been in town.

A loud pop and ping and the dent was now gone from the front of the Impala.

Sam silently patted himself on shoulder while looking at Dean expectantly. He frowned as blood started dripping from his nose.

Dean stared at his car. Ran his hand over where the damage had been. Not a sign anything had been there. Sam had just saved him a couple of hours of work. So why did he feel as if someone had just walked over his grave?

The inopportune voice sounded clear to him. "Can you kill your brother if he goes dark?"

"Please, one of you tell you heard that?"

Everyone looked at him confused.

He closed his eyes and put a hand to his temple.

"Dean?"

He wasn't looking. If no one else heard it, why should he?

He looked. Searing pain shot through his injured shoulder. His vision filled with flashes of bright colors. He felt himself falling.

He heard his name being called by the voices he knew. This time, he wasn't going to look.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!


End file.
